Raquél: Through My Eyes
by PasiondeZV
Summary: I was the girl who was always underestimated, betrayed or picked on while no one seemed to realize that I was also a human being. On my treacherous journey through high school I endure pain, sorrow, and in the end, triumph. *END BULLYING NOW!*
1. Someone

**I know it's a little soon but I was just so excited to post this behind-the-scenes story to "A Father For My Babies". This story focuses mainly on Raquél and how she deals with the daily struggles of being a teenager, the changes that go on in her mother's household and how her life is eventually changed for the better. I hope you find this story to be just as amazing as my first story! **

**Raquél **

**Chapter 1: Someone**

I moaned groggily as my peaceful slumber was yet again interrupted by a loud outburst.

"… Why do you have to act this way? You're so irresponsible!"

Groggily, I sat up in my bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes before stretching my limbs.

The sun had been shining brightly this morning, which usually meant it was a good day.

But not for this dysfunctional family…

This routine would usually repeat on a daily basis.

The heated argument of my parents would grow from shouts, until it would soon escalade to full-blown, thunderous screams. Doors would slam, heavy objects would be thrown to the floor, and abusive names would be tossed back and forth.

Neighbors who lived upstairs, downstairs; left and right of us would be able to hear every word. They used to bang on our front door in anger, even call the police if things became too intense. Now they don't do anything at all. Perhaps they've gotten used to it.

"I'm not irresponsible. I don't believe this; I just came home and you're treating me this way?"

"You act like this is my fault; you brought this on your own freaking self!"

I began to collect my pencil and notebook, and an annoyed sigh blew from my lips as my parents' dispute continued. I knew I wouldn't be able concentrate on my homework, so there was no point.

Try as I might, my punished ears couldn't ignore their abrasive yells.

It never ends.

Those two are always at each other's throats, day and night; and I'd suffer whenever I have to listen to the hateful words they keep throwing back at each other.

"Well, it ain't my fault you gotta be such a bitch all the time!" my father spat.

From the shocked gasp that followed, I knew he had immediately regretted what he had said.

**SMACK!**

I winced as the sharp sound of skin piercing echoed throughout the house, followed by the frightened cries of my younger siblings. Even _I_ felt that.

"You are such a damn jerk! Get out of my house now!"

"What the hell are you talkin' about, girl? This is my house. I'll leave when I want to."

"GET OUT!" my mother screamed.

I jumped as the thump of a heavy object—obviously a suitcase—hit the floor with brutal force, followed by thudding footsteps, and the piercing slam of the front door.

A satisfied grin arose on my lips once the house grew quiet.

My father had lost the battle this time.

I set my homework aside just as Mama entered my room, looking flustered and angry.

She sunk onto my bed and buried her head in her hands, causing a wave of black tresses to tumble over her petite shoulders.

Though she seemed very exhausted and weary, she always managed to look beautiful.

I looked just like her.

I had her long, curly brown hair, her dazzling green eyes, and her high cheek bones. But I'm not as gorgeous or as perfect as her.

The only permanent reminder of my father, unfortunately, that I inherited was his dark skin color. All my siblings and I look this way.

I sighed, "What did he do now?"

I prepared myself for the onslaught of furious words that would be unleashed.

She began to carry on about my father ordering her to do something for him and wanting sex from her.

Yep, that's just like my father.

"I would've figured that since he spent 18 months in jail." Then she called him a pig.

During her rant, I thought of my little sisters. The poor things must have been so scared.

They burst into tears when my mother slapped him.

Whenever Mama and Papa get into a fight, they would always barge into my room, distraught and frightened. And I'd always be the person who has to comfort them.

Now, our family has to get back into the swing of things.

My dad was put in jail for 18 months because of assault charges. He used to be in a gang, and they were rivals with another gang in the area. His friend, who he had known all his life, was sent to the hospital in critical condition after he was injured in a drive-by shooting. Soon after, Papa found the guy that was responsible for hurting his friend, then beat him up really bad, also sending the man to the hospital. For weeks, the authorities were busy searching for him, but they couldn't find him because he hid at his parents' house.

Mama and I never found out about the assault until the night he was arrested.

I'll never forget how terrifying it was when a huge group of police cars sat, surrounding the building. We couldn't leave because the place was put on lockdown. We didn't know what was going on, nor did the neighbors.

My mother and I were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, and we rushed into the living room once we heard the loud commotion. Utter chaos broke out once an army of police officers burst through the front door and tackled my father to the ground.

The frightened cries of my little sisters echoed throughout the house and spilled into the corridor, where the curious and disturbed neighbors peeked out their doors to see what was going on.

Once an officer informed my mother of the crime he had committed, she didn't believe him.

As the other officers slapped a pair of handcuffs onto his wrists, in a frenzied panic, she tried her best to convince them that they had the wrong guy.

For her, it still hadn't registered that Papa had committed such a brutal crime.

She didn't think that it was even _humanely_ possible for him to hurt anyone like that. We were all fearful, especially my younger sisters. They couldn't understand why their father was "going away", as Mama had sugar-coated.

Although she tried to keep herself together for the kids, reality finally set in, and she broke down in tears. I couldn't blame her for losing her composure like that, though.

My mother was only two weeks pregnant with my brother at the time. So, my father wasn't there for the birth of his only son. But once he found out the sex of the baby he insisted—no, _demanded _the baby be named after him.

My father's name is Andre James Richmond, and my mother; Gabriella Janélle Richmond (which in my opinion, should've been changed back to Montez a long time ago).

I would always hope that my parents will get a divorce, so the remaining six of us can move on with our lives without Papa.

I absolutely _hate _my father, but I've never mentioned it aloud to Mama. She doesn't understand.

He's always been such a deadbeat father to us, and a terrible husband to my mother.

And to be honest, I really think that this family would be better off without him. As harsh as that may be; after all these years of disappointment, anger and unhappiness, a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Many times, Mama had warned my father that he needed to wake up from whatever fantasy he thought he was living and take responsibility if he wanted to keep their marriage from ending up on the rocks.

But I say it already has.

The person who I think really needs a wake-up call is my mother. She _really _needs to wake up and realize that her life is not going to get any better if she doesn't leave him soon.

Or their marriage will do more than crumble to pieces…

Finally relieved of the angry voices rattling my mind, my pen connected to the blank sheet of paper and I began to write.

I smiled to myself knowing that it wouldn't take long to finish my homework.

AP Math—in my case—AP Trigonometry, was a piece of cake for me. Also I've always had a love for Chemistry, which I had inherited from my mother.

One thing I had always regretted about my devotion to school is that it has made me a complete outsider.

I'm only in my second year of high school, and ever since my family moved to New York, fitting into the "A-crowd" had always proved to be a challenge. Philip Randolph Campus High School was like a shark pit, and people like me were the bloody little pieces of chum.

I had learned that after a painful lesson during my freshman year. I wanted to be in the A-crowd like other kids who were former students of my Middle school, but I was never accepted.

In fact, I was ridiculed for it.

"Freak", "Loser", "Geek", or "Nerd" were just a few of the hurtful, G-rated words I'd be called on a daily basis. As if making fun of my intelligence wasn't enough, people used to make fun of my looks.

They'd make fun of my hair, my eyes, my nose; my _height_.

If there's one thing I've learned about high school is that you should _never_ trust an Upperclassman.

Because of their unpredictable, manipulative ways, a freshman could fall into the torturous snare of humiliation and ridicule.

Just like I had.

I'd learned my lesson during Freshman year, when I met a girl named Maya Ramiréz, who was a Junior at the time.

I had been new to the high school, so of course I didn't know my way around the building.

Our new homeroom teachers had decided to pair us up with Upperclassmen volunteers, which couldn't have been more embarrassing.

That was when I first met Maya.

My first impression of her was that she was very friendly. She approached me with an excited smile and said, "Hello, my name is Maya. What's your name, Sweetie?"

For a moment, I was taken aback. I wasn't expecting to receive a decent greeting from an upperclassman, but I decided to go along with it.

_It can't do any harm listening to her_, I told myself naïvely. But I was very wrong.

Eventually I became the target for those cocky, selfish "populars" who loved to pick on vulnerable losers like me.

I've always been afraid of criticism and what other thought of me. My mother used to tell me that there's a good chance that others don't see me as negatively as I see myself. She'd always tell me this while combing her fingers through my hair at bedtime. But I could never bring myself to believe her. I'd supposed she just told me that because she was my mother.

To be honest, I've never been content with myself, especially my looks and my body. I'm extremely petite for my age, as in 4 feet, 7 inches. I weigh a measly 90 pounds; another troubling inheritance from my mother, which I absolutely _hate_.

In school it felt like all eyes were on me, judging me, critiquing my clothes, my hair— everything about me—as I walked through the hallway, tightly clutching my books to my chest. I would rely on walking behind people who were taller than me to avoid unwanted confrontation from Maya and her "cool crew."

Unfortunately, they'd always find me, smelling my fear. Maya would approach me so quickly; she'd be in my face before my back could hit the wall.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the dirty _slut. _Which player did you have sex with today?" she sneered, which prompted her friends to break into malicious laughter. "I hope this time you remembered to lock the closet door."

I didn't know why Maya had always assumed I'd slept with a member of the football team or the basketball player. I'd never talked to a member of the football and basketball team; much less had _sex_ with any of them.

I'd know the worst was yet to come when Carlos, her right-hand man, would approach me with the stealth of a cold-blooded serpent. He wasn't her boyfriend, but she loved to watch him harass me. It'd really scare me, and upset me. I could see the danger in his eyes, which glowed with cynical amusement.

My heart thumped against my chest with such a force, it felt like everyone could hear how panicked I was. I thought I would suffocate and drop dead under his icy glare. Carlos would reach out his hand to stroke my arm. It was surprisingly gentle, but the way it sent chills up my spine made me cringe. I was thankful I had never worn a skirt, or who knows where _else_ he would've touched me.

"What's wrong, baby girl? I thought you liked to be touched… Or do you like to sit back and let the men handle you?" he'd taunt, his fingertips burning the hairs on my arms. I'd flinch at the sudden movement of his arms once he'd reach up to tuck a curl behind my ear.

"N-no," I denied timidly, while watching my quavering knees. I could feel the burning heat rising in the back of my throat.

"Ha!" Maya laughed. "That's not what Jones told me. Don't you remember what you did for him last night? Or do I have to refresh your memory, you ignorant little whore?"

This was basically a typical thing Maya would do just to watch me crumble. She'd tell me which particular athlete had "informed" her about our daily "encounters." And she would assume how I never remembered because I was such an "ignorant" or "_forgetful_ whore."

Her posse would lean forward with anticipation, eager to hear what I had _supposedly_ been up to the night before.

"Can you guys believe she danced for Jones on a pole in her _own_ house? How can her mother let her have a stripper's pole in her bedroom? But then again, she's a slut just like her mom, isn't that right, Raquél?"

A smile of satisfaction arose on her face once she knew her story had worked. My vision would grow blurred as tears began to flood in my eyes. The situation would go from bad to worse at the mention of my mother. Mama would be the culprit in this for allegedly _making_ me a "slut" just because she had me at 14; which always made me wonder how Maya knew that about me. It was quite scary.

"Yeah, he told me that you were workin' that pole like you were an expert. I guess the slutty apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh? You know, for a dirty slut, baby Mama got back with a nice rack. " The offensive comment sliced right through me.

"Sh-she's not a s-slut," I'd defend my mom, fighting my incessant hiccups.

"Ohh, Carlos, you made the bitch cry. You're so mean sometimes," she chided disdainfully.

That's when they'd burst into callous laughter, before the rest of the group took turns making fun of me. I felt dizzy as their laughter seemed to grow louder and louder, swallowing my thoughts as it forced its way into my head. I'd feel sick, like I would throw up right before them.

"C'mon, let's go before she pees her pants. See you later, bitch. And next time you're looking for easy money; don't ask a cheap bastard like Jones. You know he shouldn't be wasting his money on a worthless piece of shit like you."

During the short moments I'd have to myself, I took in a few deep, shaky breaths once they sauntered off to torment some other nerd. But I could not rest easily. I knew the worst wasn't over.

During class, where a student could get a first-class ticket to the principal's office for harassing someone, Maya and her friends knew that they wouldn't be able to get away with it. They felt that sneering at me in English wasn't enough to keep them satisfied with themselves. So they resorted to the second "best" alternative to making snide comments at me by speaking in a way that I could fully comprehend: In Spanish.

It made them invincible.

Unfortunately for me, most of my classmates spoke Spanish, and once the teacher would turn her back, the ridicule never ceased as Maya muttered nasty jokes behind my back, and what made it worse was that they all knew I could hear every word they whispered. I could feel all eyes on me everyone joined in the chorus of stifled giggles.

My face burned with humiliation, even as I tried my best to concentrate on my schoolwork and the teacher, which in fact made it worse because I was the _only_ one who cared about passing the class.

Even if Carlos and Maya were caught whispering about me; as always, they'd smooth-talk their way out of trouble using their renowned charm.

Sometimes when a teacher would grow tired of the snickers and murmurs, they'd always question as to why her classroom had suddenly turned into _Comedy Central_. Their voices dripped with sarcasm as they said, "Was there some memo I didn't get this morning? Because I had no idea it was 'Laugh like a jackass' day."

I'd always hide the smug grin that arose on my face. I knew they couldn't help but swear at them because they knew what immature idiots their students were. But I couldn't keep a smile for long.

They hated getting caught in the act, and would actually accuse _me_ of being a "snitch" and a "teacher's pet". If the teacher was a man, they would make up a claim that I had supposedly slept with them. It was expected anyway.

Once the dismissal bell sounded, they would chase me to my next class while throwing their books at my back, call me names like bitch or slut; threatening to hurt me.

On days when I was on my monthly cycle, gym class was the worst. I'd suffer from the most excruciating menstrual cramps, my head pounded from ruthless migraines, and school was even more nightmarish than any other day. Those were the days when I felt extremely moody and self-conscious, which was basically a lethal combination regarding how uncomfortable I was. I also felt dirty, which made me scrub my body in the shower for hours on end.

What really scared me was that Maya seemed to _know _that I had my period, and would steal my tampons—which I hated, but wore them since my mother insisted—during the class. Usually at the beginning of the week when I had a heavy flow, I would stuff my book bag with tampons and pads as I backup (I'm extremely paranoid of accidental leaking). But my plan backfired on me when Maya emerged from the downstairs locker room; book bag in hand, and discarded my much needed "supplies" onto the floor… _right_ in front of the class.

She had received detention on several occasions for it, but that would only leave me to pick up every tampon and pad while the boys laughed in my face. And with my unbalanced hormones raging, tears of shame and defeat streamed down my face as I left the heap and ran for cover in the girl's locker room. My thick curls bounced behind me as I skipped down the stairs, nearly tripping myself in the process. I locked myself in an empty stall and cry and throw up all through lunchtime until a nurse would come to rescue. And by rescue I mean send me home.

To my humiliation, she'd try to convince me to come out of the stall while the next group of girls yelled at me for hogging the last stall. I ignored them, hesitant to leave in fear of being watched and criticized. The situation was already embarrassing in itself, and I didn't want to make it worse by being laughed at a second time. Between the nurse and me, we both knew the only person who I trust and would actually listen to.

"Where is she?" I'd hear my mother's voice call from outside the stall. It was only then I could let out deep sigh of relief once she'd gently tap on the door. "Raquél, are you okay? Please come out, baby girl… para mí," she whispered, followed by a short sniffle. Mama always cried when things like this happened to me, and I was very emotional at that time. It prompted me cry even more. Before her knuckles could tap against the surface again, the door swung open and I'd be in her arms, sobbing like a little child. I wasn't so ashamed anymore. And by then, the group of girls would have dispersed.

"Mommy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Shh, you didn't do anything, baby. It's not your fault. It's alright, I'm here," she'd soothe, while combing her fingers my tousled curls and kissing my blotched face. The both of us would remain seated on the tiled floor until I had calmed enough to catch my breath. Mama would help me to my feet, and pull me into another hug. "Come on, let's go home. I'll talk to your principal later, okay?"

Once we hurried out the building through the back door of the gym, she'd tell me to wait in the car so that she could talk to my principal. When she said "talk to the principal", she really meant "yell at him." I truly pitied anyone who dared get in my mother's way whenever she was heated. I knew it wasn't the principal's fault that this happened to me, but I couldn't blame her for being angry after hearing about her daughter's constant bullying.

Mama's long brunette tresses swung behind her as she stormed back into the building, her stiletto heels tapping loudly against the pavement. I'd supposed she was going there to murder Maya, but the principal always seemed to send her home just in time. I think he could've sensed an approaching storm. Usually a week's suspension would do, but my mother always demanded for her to be expelled. But like always, Maya got off easily.

And just because she had been sent home, that didn't mean she wouldn't get the last word in. As her car pulled up beside me, she'd call out one last insult like, "Did your mom go in there to 'talk', or is she just screwing him for the money?" before speeding off. Sitting in the seat next to her was her boyfriend—Enriqué, or something like that—who sat back listening to his MP3 player. He was like, almost in his 20's and still in high school (I don't want to know). He never seemed to pay attention to me. I always found it strange that he was never in sight whenever I faced confrontation with Maya in school. Perhaps he didn't want to waste his precious time on someone who was _unimportant_. I don't know what he sees in Maya, because she treats him like dirt.

I would spot them from the deserted table where I sat alone, and when he'd lean in to kiss her, she would push him away before continuing to gossip with her girlfriends. And, as expected, they were gossiping about me.

Like any other teenage girl, I longed to find that one special guy who would love me for the rest of my life. I yearned to feel his strong arms around me which would leave behind tingling sparks as he'd caress my body. Someone who could make me smile and laugh at their humor; to wipe away my tears when I was feeling upset; or to encourage me whenever I faced adversity. Someone who would protect me from harm or defend me from those who tried to kick me when I was down… or tell me that I'm beautiful. Someone who would love me for who I am.

But I knew I would have a better chance at winning the lottery than finding my soul mate.

My mother always told me not to give up faith, because that perfect guy may just be right around the corner. "For all you know, he could be_ right _in front of you," she'd say to cheer me up. It never worked, but I believed her. I knew couldn't deny how right she was. I believed that someone, somewhere, also waited for the right person. And that right person could maybe—just maybe—be… me.

If only I can make it out of high school alive.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Please read and review!**


	2. Mamita and Papito

**So sorry for the long delay. I hope you enjoy this chapter because I worked very hard on making this perfect for you guys. Please read and review!**

**Raquél: Through the Eyes of Me**

**Chapter 2: Mamita & Papito**

If I could describe the bond between my mother and me, I'd say that it was unbreakable or impenetrable. It was the same beautiful bond that has kept our mother/daughter relationship going strong for as long as I can remember.

She was extremely special to me, like I was to her. Like the older sister you look up to or the lifelong friend you've known since that first day in preschool, I can rely on Mama for love, guidance, support–and occasionally–keeping juicy secrets. My mother is, after all, only a mere fourteen years older than me.

It had taken me a long while to find out that I had apparently been conceived one January afternoon in my father's bedroom. The place could've been decked out in Michael Jordan posters and NBA memorabilia as I could reluctantly imagine. They'd been living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and my mother was only thirteen; just two days before her 14th birthday. She was merely a little girl when her innocence was stolen by my 17 year old father.

Surely I can never imagine the fear she must've felt once she discovered the shocking outcome of her preceding "questionable" actions. The girl who had literally just grown out of her training bra was pregnant.

To her own surprise; and quite frankly mine, when she reluctantly broke the news to my father, he stuck by her side through all nine months. And on a cold, stormy evening on September 15, 1994, I was born in Alta Vista Regional hospital in San Miguel County, New Mexico. Maternity ward 2; Room 281.

Mama had decided to christen me Raquél María Consuela, after her great-grandmother. I was a relatively tiny baby, even though she'd carried me full-term. Three pounds, two ounces I had been born.

When I was a little girl, she would always read me a Puerto Rican Folklórico–a folktale whenever she'd tuck me in at bedtime. She would also tell me stories of when I was in her womb. She used to blast Spanish lullabies through the speakers whenever she was left home alone. As I can recall, I always used to giggle as she'd mention how upset the neighbors became, and how they'd angrily beat their broomsticks against the front door.

Just by simply ignoring their vicious threats and warnings, Mama would just crank the volume higher. The loud, chaotic world around her quickly faded; her own blissful thoughts consuming every meaningless fragment of its reality. I would imagine my teenage mother, sitting on the carpeted floor of an empty apartment, and singing softly to me while caressing her growing stomach. Her angelic-like croons sadly fell in deaf ears, but only until she had passed the third trimester of her pregnancy.

She said I used to tumble and squirm beneath her warm, protective touch. "My little acrobat," she'd say with a reflective grin. Perhaps even before I'd been brought into this world I longed to be in the arms of an Angel...

My little heart would always swell with pride whenever Mama told me about the day I was born. As she held me on her lap, gently bouncing me on her knee, I'd lay my head against her breast, listening with great fascination while I slowly dozed. I could hear her heartbeat quicken with excitement at the acknowledgement of that special day.

It was the most amazing and unforgettable experience she'd ever had, and the proudest day of her young life. Once she laid eyes on me, it was like love at first sight. While embracing my body with a gentle squeeze, she'd say that I was the most "angelic" thing she had ever seen.

In the stillness of the room, a melodious laugh lingered on her lips as she admitted the moment she cried once our eyes met. My eyes were emerald, just like hers. I remember how special I'd feel whenever she told me, "Your Bisabuela Consuela sent you to me from heaven-el cielo. Eres mi pequeña milagro (you are my little miracle)."

At that time, my mother was probably about 18 or 19 years old, and I was four. After she had securely tucked me into the plush bedcovers, I would always feel a warm sense of comfort and security as she'd give me that magical smile; her emerald orbs twinkling with adoration. She'd then encase my body in the tightest hug and smother my face with relentless kisses, rendering me into a fit of squeals. "I love you, Chiquita. I'll see you in the morning," Mama whispered as she reached over to shut off the lamp by my bedside.

Before she would get up to leave, I'd seize her hand and pull her down so that our eyes remained leveled. "Yo también te quiero Mami. Buenas noches," I'd whisper back, unable to find her dazzling white smile in the darkness. She'd lean down to kiss me one last time, while gently combing her fingers through my soft curls. "Good night."

Once she had dispersed from the room, a great surge of sadness and fear would consume my thoughts. The only source of comfort I had left was the bright blue glow which emitted from my Cinderella night-light. Without my mother, I felt vulnerable and small. In the darkness, the shadowed faces of my stuffed animals and Barbie dolls distorted into monsters before my eyes, and they'd grow bigger and taller until they towered hundreds of feet above my shrinking bed. At least that's what it seemed like to me.

In a frenzied panic, I'd call for my mother, my tiny quivering voice calling as loud as it could. "Mama! Mama!" I'd wail until she would rush into my room. It seemed as though once the door would swing open, those hideous creatures evaporated into thin air, and returned to their normal lifeless selves.

A veil of black tresses swayed above my face as she'd reach down to take me into her room. Without uttering a sound, Mama would gather me in her protective arms and whisk me out of the room that had been closing in around me. "Shh, calm down, mijita. You're safe with me, Angel," she soothed, holding my shaking body against her breast. She'd let me soak the crook of her shoulder with my tears, while rocking me back and forth on her bed. My father usually worked at night, so we always had the bed to ourselves.

My tiny fists clung to her silk nightgown, and strands of her hair remained tangled between my fingers. I feared that she would vanish if I ever dared to let go, so I held on tight with all the strength I had. After a few quiet minutes with my mother my gasping breaths would ease, and my tears dried up. She'd then pull the soft duvet over our bodies before shutting off the lights.

My little eyes would dart around the darkness, searching for those horrible creatures that had lurked in my bedroom moments before. But they'd never return to haunt my dreams. Because I knew that while I was sleeping peacefully, Mama would be there, waiting to protect me. So I'd snuggle as close as I could to my mother; and the heat radiating from her skin would lull me to sleep.

As I grew older, I had become extremely shy. In grade school, I'd cry whenever my mother left me to go to work. I was severely attached to her. The other brave kids stood and watched as I clung to her leg, afraid to let go. The situation would just worsen when the teachers stepped in to help. I didn't want their "help". I remembered screaming even louder as their cold hands clamped onto my little wrists, carefully separating me from my mother. Once my cries would eventually reduce to quiet hiccups, she tilted my chin up so that my tearful eyes would meet her softened ones.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Mama will be right here to pick you up in a few hours, okay?" my mother whispered while using the soft pad of her thumb to wipe away my tears. I'd start to feel better when she flashed me a warm smile of reassurance, and give me the longest goodbye kiss. "Te quiero, mija," she'd say before spinning around on her heels, which made her long curls swing behind her back. I couldn't help but smile as she looked back to send me one last wave. I'd also wave, feeling that familiar pang of vulnerability as the heavy door would slam behind her.

I felt safe knowing that my teachers would keep a close eye on me throughout the day. But whenever I was left alone with the other kids, I felt like an outsider. They'd taunt and laugh at me on a daily basis because I didn't know much English, and also because of where my mother was from. When you lived in an area where most of the population was of Mexican ethnicity, finding other Puerto Ricans who shared the same culture as you was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. And my mother and I were those needles.

To make matters worse, I was very small-the size of a three-year-old compared to a regular five-year-old. They'd call me shrimp, shorty, baby, whatever cruel name their young minds could conjure up. By the time I had reached six, I'd begun to hate the nickname which my mother called me by: Chiquita, which meant "little girl". But in my case, I was extremely tiny.

I didn't want to participate in any games or activities during school. I'd sit in the corner playing by myself, tears of shame threatening to fall once my ears caught the callous snickers of my tormentors. And once the teachers motioned for me to join them, all eyes were on me. I never dared to look up, afraid that I'd find the smug grins that were plastered onto their little faces, and the hidden amusement in their eyes.

"Raquél, it's okay. Come and join us," the teacher would say carefully, as if I knew only a small percent of English. But in truth, I'd begun to learn a lot of English. On the weekends, my mother used to teach me lots of words in English to help me speak better in school. Although in school, all that learning went to waste. Most of the time, I'd pretend not to know English because of my heavy accent.

I knew that the taunting would only grow worse. So whenever a teacher called me, I'd let my tearful eyes fall to the ragdoll I held in my hands. Its painted face and red-yarn locks would blur as more tears rose. Then with a quick shake of my head, a tear fell, allowing my vision to clear. I'd then sniffle quietly so that my classmates could not hear, and watch the teardrop as it melted into the doll's plush face. My face grew hot whenever I could sense their cold brown and blue orbs burning through my flesh. I quickly spun around on the foam mat I'd been stuck on for the past few hours, turning my back to them. And only then did I let the tears stream down my cheeks.

Eventually, the five long hours had elapsed, and all the kids had rushed to collect their art projects they'd completed during the day, they ran to their awaiting parents in the hallway. However, I remained in the same corner, hesitant to join the group. My teachers–as usual–would try to coax me to come out to meet my mother. They'd say, "Don't you want to see your Mama? She's right outside waiting for you." I often shook my head in protest, and jerk my arm away whenever they tried to touch me. Although my tears had dried up moments ago, I knew not to let them fall again... until I heard the melodic voice of my savior.

The moment my mother rushed through those heavy double-doors, I'd steal a glance over my shoulder, and burst into tears once our eyes met. "Oh, baby," she'd say just above a whisper. I'd immediately lock her in my arms when she scooped me off the floor. At that point I felt safe knowing that she'd be there to save me from the place that caused me so much misery. Mama would apologize for being late for the hundredth time while I burrowed my scarlet face into her chest.

Once my teachers managed to persuade her to stay for a "quick" talk, I knew they had nothing worth listening to. My mother was never in the mood for their unsound observations. She must've suspected that there was a specific reason regarding my behavior in school. She'd usually ask if they had been keeping a close eye on me, and they responded with a quick nod; but even I knew that their claims were not entirely true. My teachers never kept a close eye on me; in fact they'd never even acknowledge me presence. Otherwise, they would've figured out the culprit, or culprits who were responsible for my behavior.

After a moment of listening to them drone on and on about the possibility of holding me back a grade–to my relief Mama would cut the slightly offensive conversation short. "And again, I'm extremely sorry for being late. I promise you it won't happen again," she said pleasantly, even though I could feel her body temperature rising. At that point she'd be so hot my skin almost burned against hers. Her blood was literally boiling. What seemed like a friendly gaze turned out to be an intense glare. She was on a short fuse and I'd know it. And once my mother bid a quick goodbye, she'd turn and march through the door in a huff.

That was when I started to become very afraid of Mama. She'd carry me past the lingering group of students. When I'd muster up the courage to look into their faces, they'd send me silent daggers and sneer behind my mother's back. That was when I'd start to suck on my thumb, which provided an alternative source of comfort for me. While my mother stormed through the parking lot, I'd remain silent, fearing that I would anger her even more. The door swung open with one swift tug at its handle, before she'd gently place me in my booster seat. Those uncomfortable cross-straps she adjusted across my chest were never tolerable. I never liked sitting in that unbearable seat as a child, but I'd never complain. I flinched once the door would slam shut.

"'She needs to be held back'... Bullshit," she'd mutter angrily to herself, while peeling out of the empty parking lot. "Those _putas_ just wasted 15 minutes of my life."

At such a young age I didn't know what those words meant, but I knew that they were bad. I knew my mother never meant to resort to nasty swears; however I'd be furious too if someone told me that my child wasn't good enough. By the time Mama had spat just about every swear in the English and Spanish language, that was when fresh tears started to prick my eyes. This was an intimidating and unfamiliar side of my mother I'd never encountered before. I used to think the cause of her anger was from something I had done, because I thought I wasn't good enough for her.

My guilty stare fell to the carpeted floor as her eyes flickered upwards to watch me through the rearview mirror. She'd then let out an indecisive sigh and apologize. "I'm sorry, Angel. Mama was just upset and... I-I couldn't help it. How about we split an ice cream sundae?" My face would break into a wide grin and I'd eagerly shake my head.

Truthfully, I never wanted her to spend her much needed and hard-earned money, because I knew how she struggled to keep a steady job. But I could see in her eyes that she wanted nothing more in the world than to make me happy. Without a word I nodded slowly, flashing her the slightest smile of reassurance; just so she'd know that I was okay. "Alright, baby." That was when I would start to feel a little better; whenever my mother glanced back and gave me that warm smile. Then I would know that she could never be mad at me no matter what. I knew that she loved me with all her heart.

I knew I never had to worry about my close relationship with my mother, because we understood each other's flaws. But up until I'd reached puberty, my relationship with my father, however, had just gotten from minor technicalities, to clashing differences. This was when I had learned to become slightly more independent, and severely defiant.

Andre had changed so much, but I never knew why. I'd often wonder what had happened to the loving, doting father who would take care of Mami and I whenever we used to get sick. He'd wink at me and call me "Babycakes", give me hugs and kisses when I was frightened, or take me out for ice cream after dinner. I couldn't deny that I missed my old father.

Once I learned that screaming at him to get what I wanted made it easier to avoid punishment from my mother, I was invincible... for a while. Eventually my mother didn't like that fact that I had been undermining his authority, and often allowed him to spank me for my defiance. I never hated her for it, but I sure hated him. Because I was smarter than most kids my age, switching tactics was my only way to get out of trouble with Mama. I'd throw tantrums, scream, cry, throw up; I made sure that she felt guilty for having my father discipline me.

Another strategy I used was lying and accusing him of things he never did. In the end, I felt that there would be some sort of reward waiting for me. Annoying Dre to get him to hit me and claiming abuse never had the most rewarding outcome. He never wanted to hit me, and I knew that it hurt him, but I was out for revenge. After what had happened that day Mama was out shopping, he never touched me again.

I was eight at the time; Dre had just received news about his Aunt Mary's death at the hospital. She had lung cancer. I knew he was upset, but I figured he would get over it. As he glumly ate down that delicious box of chocolate-chip cookies, I wanted them, and I was going to get them one way or the other.

Without considering the possible dire consequences, my marching feet led me towards my father, who sat hunched over on the couch watching television. He was unusually quiet.

"Papito, gimme those cookies!" I demanded, unafraid. He sighed and turned away from me. "Not now, Raquél," he muttered miserably.

"But I want them now!" I screeched. The cookies were held out of my grip, and I leaped and clawed after them as if I were a hungry cub. He was starting to get ticked off, but I kept egging him on.

This time, I threw myself onto the floor in a wild outburst. I screamed so loud I thought I would go deaf. Papa grabbed me by my arm, lifting me from the ground with ease. He said in a firm voice, "Raquél María, cut the crap right now! You know your Momma won't put up with this."

I simply brushed off the scolding and folded my arms. "You can't tell me what to do. I don't like you. You're not Mamita; I want Mami. Where's Mami?"

"Seeing me in jail if you don't stop right now." His threats were nothing to worry about. He just said that to scare me, and I knew it. But at that moment, I should have been scared. "Nooo!" I shrieked as he tried to put me in the corner, blocking my kicks with his stronger legs. "RAQUÉL!" he then bellowed, which made me flinch. My brain was rattling because of the way he shook me harshly.

"Do you want me to hit you, huh? Now stop this shit!" I dared to look into his eyes, and glared at him. "Do it. You don't like me anyway. I hate you, and I wish I had a better Daddy!" I spoke blindly. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

For a moment, it had taken me a while to register what had happened, but then my senses came alive again as my face collided with the hard floor. My pained screams filled the air as I clutched my stinging cheek. I withdrew my hand and was horrified to find that my fingers were stained with blood. Papa was more horrified than me once he realized what he had done.

In a complete panic, my father scooped me up from the floor before I could scramble away from him, and he rushed me to the bathroom. His reaction was like nothing I had ever seen before. He looked scared, as if he knew that he was going to be sent to jail for what he had done.

The first-aid kit clumsily tumbled out of his hands with a disturbing clatter. "Oh, God. Oh, God," he kept repeating. "Not today." I calmly remained seated on the toilet—still in tears; but I was calm unlike my father. A quiet, disgusted groan was the only sound I made once he began to decorate my face with that gross antibiotic cream, before applying a thick wad of gauze.

It seemed as though my father was down on his luck that day, because once my pregnant mother came waddling into that doorway, all hell broke loose. "Oh my God, Raquél! What happened?" she gasped, rushing to my side. Dre didn't answer. He sat frozen in place, red-handed, like a thief who had been caught in the act.

"Mami," I said in a tiny voice, tugging at her skirt to get her attention. Her gaze never left my guilty father as she lifted me into her arms.

"Andre. What happened?" she tried again, firmly. I could tell that her patience was wearing thin just by the way my unborn sister began to kick in distress. "I... there was an accident. But please, don't get mad at me," he pleaded his case. My mother suddenly became a judge, contemplating whether to decide her verdict as innocent and let him go, or sentence him for life. After a moment of silence, she banged her gravel.

"We'll see."

I was placed back onto the floor, and watched my parents flock towards their bedroom.

"Permanecer allí, Niñita (stay there)," Mama told me before shutting the door. A ball of dust rolled across the floor once they were gone.

Not a moment had passed before the muted voices started to build into an ear-shattering climax. My mother ranted in an unstoppable flourish of Spanish and English while my dad kept reminding her: "Gabi, the baby."

Their argument continued well into the evening, and it didn't come to a standstill until… The home was quiet. Way _too_ quiet; and I'd gotten off the floor to see what was going on. Once I was close enough to the door, I heard sniffling. It was my mother… perhaps.

I couldn't really tell, so I pushed my way through the door, and standing there comforting the sobbing parent, was my mother! I couldn't believe it. Seeing my father cry, his face buried in her stomach, his tears soaking her blouse; it astounded me.

"Shh, shh it's okay, Andre. I miss her too… I'm hurting too," she whispered. Mama was close to tears of her own as she continued to rock him back and forth—the way she did to me when I was upset.

My forehead wrinkled in perplexity. Who were my parents missing? Why were they crying?

"You'll get to say goodbye tomorrow. Before they put her to rest."

Then, it dawned on me. My Aunt Mary! Her funeral was the next day, which explained why my father was crying.

That afternoon I was out for revenge for what he had done to me, but I only realized that a box of cookies were not as important as the bond Andre and I shared. Our relationship grew strained after my aunt's funeral. I recalled the moment my parents and I stood above the burial site along with the rest of my family/mourners. I looked up at them, wanting to avoid the sight of my Great-aunt being lowered into the earth; and my grieving parents were locked in each other's arms.

Their foreheads were pressed together, and their eyes were closed, as if they were trying to connect to Aunt Mary's soul and feel her angelic presence within the group of family. Every tear was like a raindrop as they fell around me in all directions: my hair, my clothes; the dirt. My father was like a different person that morning. The moment I'd started to resent him was when I tried to hold his hand. And he wouldn't let me.

Mama stayed back to offer her condolences to Rita, my grandmother, when I spotted him aimlessly walking ahead. "Papito, can we have McDonald's for lunch? I'll give you my Happy Meal toy," I offered, obviously too cheerfully as I hoped to lighten his mood. My palm slipped into his empty one, but there was no grip. He let go of my hand and continued on walking.

"I don't want to hold your hand. Go away," he muttered, brushing past me. I stood in the middle of that cemetery, completely devastated. My father, who used to read bedtime stories to me and give me piggy-back rides when I was sad—most importantly, the father who used to spoil me with endless hugs, kisses and "I love you's", gave me the cold shoulder. What he told me made a hole in my heart. He _broke_ my heart. And for the first time in my life, I actually hated my father.

That same resentment and hatred that I kept pent up for all these years was what finally caused me to crack the other night. But later, I was glad that we finally got to patch up the relationship that we should've held onto since Aunt Mary's death. It made me appreciate him even more.

One morning I awoke to find that my father had made an "appearance" the night before, and needless to say, I was _angry_. Mami had kicked him out of the house some days ago, and then promised me that he would never return. I was not at all surprised. She was never good at keeping promises, which always made me feel like she let me down in a way.

I watched my mom and dad with repulsion as they emerged from their bedroom, obviously giddy after their early morning session. She came out giggling like a little girl when he pulled her back to whisper in her ear. My dreams were interrupted by the constant thumping I heard against my wall.

The baby in my arms began to kick, eager to have his divided pancakes. I couldn't help an eye roll. What was my mother's problem? Letting someone slip their hands under your clothes was not romantic.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded, resting my hands onto my hips once I noticed him pulling a pancake skillet from the cabinet.

He didn't pause, but kept his back turned while he brought out the ingredients. "I'm cooking for your Momma… Is it a bad thing if I want to cook for my family?"

"Yes it is!"

My mother was already pleading for me to stop, but I was too stubborn to listen. My dad was stupid enough to ask me why.

"Because you don't belong here!" I fired back.

It didn't take long for a full blown argument to start. But then I said something that stunned even me.

"I HATE YOU! I hate that you're my father!" I screamed it with all the resentment I had kept ever since I was a little girl. Even my father was not angry. Just stunned. No one was as angry as my mother.

She scared me whenever she yelled, but I never told her, because I was scared!

"What did you say? I'm so sick of you! I can never have any peace in this house because you two are always bickering over the stupidest things!"

I continued to make my point by saying that he was ruining our lives. But I meant to say _my _life. My eyes began to burn with tears as I looked up at my family.

"You don't understand… how I feel. Especially Dad. At least the girls have a father who loves them. I don't anymore; I used to have a father who loved me," I replied tearfully.

It was the truth. I never felt loved by my father after his aunt died. The connection between us was just cut off.

I felt humiliated for crying in front of my sisters, and before my mother could try to talk to me, I slid my chair backwards and got up.

"No, no it's nothing," I told her after she asked me what I was talking about. She wasn't there six years ago to hear what Andre had told me. I walked out of the room, passing up yet another opportunity to talk about my feelings.

This was a problem I had ever since I was little. I never liked to talk about my feelings because I always felt that I would be judged. Mami always noticed, but she knew I hated to talk. Keeping all these feelings to myself was awful I felt like a robot because I could never fully enjoy myself or be fully happy. I hated it.

I stayed cooped up in my bedroom for the rest of the day, venting the day's events in my diary. I never thought that it would come in handy, but Mami had bought it for me so that I could keep record of what was going on once I began to attend high school. I never showed it to her.

So far, there was never anything positive written in that diary. Most pages I'd written showcased the torture and ridicule I had to endure for most of my high school life. I hated everything about that school. I hated my classes, my teachers, lunchtime, _especially_ the kids. I hated my tormentors, Maya and Carlos with all my heart.

Writing in my diary offered me some kind of comfort. But never total comfort.

"Raquél, honey? Is it okay if I come in?" I sighed once I heard Andre's voice outside my door. Perhaps Mami had threatened him into talking to me.

I decided that it was time to let go of my past and focus on patching up this broken relationship with my father. This was going to be hard, expressing my feelings.

"Come in," I said.

I was surprised to see a smile on his face as he slid into my room. It didn't look as forced as I'd secretly expected.

"Hey, Babycakes," he began, calling me by my old nickname. I tried my best efforts to resist a grin.

The awkwardness between us was evident as he sat beside me on the bed. "How are you? You okay?"

I didn't answer, but kept my eyes on my diary. This was going to take some getting used to.

"You know, I would never forget the day you were born. Your mother was too exhausted to think about anything, but me… I cried when I saw you. You were the most beautiful little thing."

No reply. He decided to cut to the chase.

"Tell me, baby. Why are you upset?" he asked, gently tucking a curl behind my ear. I had to tell him. I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Don't you remember what happened at Great-aunt Mary's funeral?"

Papa shook his head to my disappointment. "No, what happened?"

He cleared his throat, hoping to hide the pain he still felt from his aunt's death.

It upset me to think that he didn't remember what he said to me. I broke down in tears, and he quickly wrapped his arms around me.

"What is it, Raquél? Tell me."

"You don't remember? When you told me that you didn't want to hold my hand… when you told me to go away… that really hurt me, Daddy. It really did," I finally confessed through my tears.

"Oh-no," he said to himself, realizing his mistake. "Well, you know that I never meant it like that. I was just upset that day, and I just said it out of grief."

"But I never forgot it, Dad. I kept dwelling on the fact that you didn't love me anymore, and I hated you because of it."

"No, don't ever say that. I do love you, Raquél. With all my heart," he said, pulling me into an embrace.

"I'll always be there when you need me, okay?"

"I love you too, Papi. I'm sorry."

Mami caught us hugging and got quite emotional herself. We welcomed her in our embrace. It was like we were a family again, and from then on, I knew that I would never have to worry about my relationship with my father anymore.

I was finally going to be happy again.

Or so I hoped.

**I hope you enjoyed it, and there's LOTS more to come. Please review! **


	3. Drained

**So, this chapter came a little quicker than usual, but be on the lookout for the next chapter because you'll find out about her anonymous crusher lol. Please review! **

**Chapter 3: Drained**

**Raquél**

That morning I'd awoken with the most awful cramps in the pit of my abdomen. The dreaded "Monthly Gift" had returned to spoil my whole week. It was punishment enough that I had to endure yet another week of pain, humiliation and torture, but my period always seemed to make things much worse for me.

That gross, uncomfortable feeling between my legs told me that I was going to have a heavy flow that day. I had a feeling that I was going to have a bad day, even before I'd gotten out of bed.

"Mami… I need you," I moaned in anguish, clutching my stomach. That searing needle-like sensation was too much for me to handle. Almost immediately, my mother rushed into my room with a baby attached to her hip, and took a seat beside me.

"¿Qué pasa, Chiquita? Are you sick?"

"Yeah… and I have cramps too," I whined, putting on my "greenest" face.

She tended to the few strands of hair that stuck to my sweaty forehead, and placed the baby onto my bed.

"Ohh, my poor baby. Do you think Tylenol will help with the cramps?"

I shook my head with another whine, in hopes of persuading her into letting me skip school. But she was only two I.Q. points higher than me. She had an I.Q. of 163… (I told you we were geeks!)

"Are you sure you can't wait another day? Today's Friday, and you have early release. You'll have plenty of time to rest tomorrow…" she suggested, fully aware of the fact that I _hated_ school.

"Mooommy, but I don't feel well. It's a short day—please?"

I was determined to make up as many excuses as I could to avoid going to school.

Mama sighed as she leaned back on her arm for support. "This is the second time for the week you've asked me to stay home. I'm sure they won't be at school," she said quietly, which of course angered me because she had no idea what her daughter had to go through on a daily basis.

"They will be there; they are _always_ there. The only reason they come to school is to torment me, Mami. You just don't understand, do you?"

The guilt in her eyes was evident, but then she told me the one thing that I always found useless.

"You shouldn't worry about what they're doing. Just focus on keeping up your grades because you're moving forward. They're not going anywhere, honey. I know you don't like school now, but I promise, you're going to get everything you deserve out of life, okay?"

As much as I tried to fight back tears, my insecurities broke me down. I hid my face in my mother's shoulder, afraid to let anyone else hear my sobs.

"It's not getting any better, Mom. They just won't stop bullying me. I didn't do anything."

"I know you didn't, baby. It's not your fault."

We stayed like that for almost ten minutes, and I was still hopeful that my mother was going to let me stay home. Whatever hope I had never lasted long, because I knew that any minute the rug could be pulled from under me.

"Get ready, okay. I'll pick you up later if you don't feel like taking the bus," she said, as if the past ten minutes meant nothing to her.

I glared to her back as she picked up my sister before leaving the room. There was no use in begging my mother, because she was going to send me to school no matter how sick I was.

Sluggishly, I tore myself from my bed and made my way to my closet. I observed the full wardrobe of gorgeous outfits I owned. I never wore them, of course, and picked out my usual school attire: a pair of jeans, and a tank top, covered by a _large_ sweatshirt. My clothes were baggy so that my figure would remain hidden.

I was afraid to think that Maya would find something else to make fun of: like my so-called "blessed" curves. They were more like cursed.

One day in school, I'd found myself in an awkward predicament in removing my sweatshirt after having a bottle of soda thrown at my back. Unfortunately for me, I had to walk around wearing a low-cut tank top, and endured raunchy stares and obnoxious comments for the rest of the day.

I also wore sweatshirts for warmth. Since my imbecilic teachers didn't seem to know what_ real_ heat was, they would blast the air condition even when the weather was 60 degrees.

Living in such freezing temperatures year-round always turned me towards heat. Oddly, I never broke a sweat in 90 degree weather. Summers in Puerto Rico—now, that was where I had to draw the line.

My classrooms were always freezing, and I'd literally shiver until my back began to ache. I'd glance around the room avoiding threatening scowls, and find that I was the only one suffering.

Now, I _would _like to tell you about the good times I've had while attending school, but sadly, there was no such thing as having a good time at Philip Randolph high school. If there was some way that I could give you an abridged version of my torment, believe me, I would. However, that was just impossible.

My siblings and I resembled zombies while Papa treated us to breakfast. Mami emerged from the bathroom wearing her nursing bra. My little brother, sensing that he was going to be fed, called to her from his playpen. I watched her with a full mouth as she plucked him up and opened the left flap of her bra.

"Mami, why do you like to breastfeed standing up? You're supposed to be sitting so the baby can relax."

"He's relaxed," Mami insisted, cradling André like she always did: her hand up his crotch while the other gently rubbed his back. I hated when parents held their babies that way, especially little boys. It just _looked _uncomfortable. His body remained tilted in an awkward position, and his fingers curled into a fist on top of her breast.

"Sure, Mom," I said sarcastically.

In the mornings, I would move as if I were stuck on slow motion because I wanted to spend as much time_ out_ of school. As expected, it never worked.

"_Rápidamente_, chica. You're going to miss the bus if you don't hurry!" she announced, clapping hastily.

_I __**want**_ _to miss the bus, _I thought with a scowl.

"Mama, why can't we have a second car? I hate taking the bus," I complained, just as my father had kissed us all goodbye and left for work.

"Because we can't afford it, Raquél. Maybe if I had three kids instead of six, we could, but that's just not possible right now."

My younger sisters squealed with laughter from the couch, still dressed in their pajamas. I watched them with envy knowing that they had a ride to school. However, that was because their school began at 8:15. I had to use the bus, the subway, and another bus with my baby siblings; and I had to make it in time for my first class.

When the principal found out about my interesting morning commute, she arranged to have the nearby daycare call me in for attendance. My mother and I were grateful for the change, but that only brought me more ridicule.

"She's always running late because she's too busy dropping off her _two _kids at the daycare," Maya would mutter to her friends just as I would arrive during first period. "Her baby daddy works at Kmart, so they can't afford a car…"

That cruel remark was just the beginning of my soon-to-be hellish day.

André and A'sharía cried out from their strollers in distress, growing hot in their bulky winter jumpsuits.

"Okay, we're going now," I told them, hurriedly collecting my book bag and bus pass.

Mami leaned down to plant a kiss on my temple, and gave me a tight hug for reassurance.

"Be careful, honey. Have a great day and I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you too, Mami," I replied, swallowing the growing lump in my throat.

I wanted to cry because she always told me to have a "great day". I wanted to cry because she was sending me off by myself. Despite my problems in school, and did her absolute best to cheer me up.

My hands were full with one baby in my arms and one walking beside me. My book bag hung from one shoulder, while the diaper bag hung from the other. I had to keep shrugging to keep them from sliding off. I held Ria's hand tightly as we carefully navigated the empty corridors.

"Step on, honey," I encouraged my sister to step into the elevator.

This was an obstacle that she faced every morning. Her fear of elevators almost caused me to miss my bus.

The receptionist greeted me with a polite good morning, his eyes never leaving his newspaper.

"Good morning, Raquél," he declared cheerfully.

"Hi," was all I said.

_Lucky you_.

At least he didn't have to go anywhere. I wished that I could sit behind a desk and answer phones all day long. Anything was better than school.

The bitter winter air stung my eyes once the heavy doors swung open, and the noise that followed made my ears ring. The usual chaos of Manhattan was nothing new to me. This was my typical morning routine.

I guided my sister through the crowded sidewalks, lifting her over the bumps and cracks in the pavement. Stares forced my eyes to my feet as I approached the bus stop one block ahead. As if having people think that these two babies were my children was humiliating, the woman who sat comfortably on the bench stood up to offer me her seat.

Scarlet in the face, I shyly turned down her offer, and continued to wait with the rest of the throng. After a few short minutes, I felt that there was something wrong. Something I'd forgotten at home. I placed André onto his feet and patted the top of my jeans to check my items.

House keys: check. Locker key, my _second_ locker key (for gym), bus pass, train pass; daycare I.D….

The roar of the bus caught my attention, and I lifted my brother and took my sister's hand to board the bus. It was only until after I'd scanned my bus pass in the machine did I realize…

_Oh-no! _my brain cried._ My school I.D.! _

I was contemplating whether to turn back and go home to get my I.D., but my hopes of having lunch that day were lost. Frustrated, I inched my way towards a tight corner. Some complaints were thrown at me, as both my backpack and diaper bag bumped the passengers who stood in the aisles. I never liked to be a burden to others, but I couldn't help bumping into commuters on a crowded bus.

"Thank you," I quietly acknowledged to the high school girl as she stood up. She flashed me a warm smile as she crossed in front of me. She must have been from a different high school, because she was actually _nice_ to me. Her smile grew bigger when André began to coo.

"They're cute. Are they yours?" she asked, reaching out her hand to touch his arm.

I shook my head silently, and explained to her that they were my siblings. This I had to explain to every person that asked me that question.

The girl and I chatted for a few minutes, and my morning was starting to get better. Her name was Aurora, and she went to school in Brooklyn. But once she told me that her stop was coming up, the despondency I'd been putting aside for the moment had returned.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Raquél," she waved to me, before turning to go through the back doors.

"Bye."

It made me angry. Why couldn't more teens be like her?

The next stop over was at the bus stop near the subway entrance. A few good Samaritans helped the bags onto my shoulders and wished me good luck as I exited the bus.

I could hear the oncoming train from the top of the stairs, and wove my way through the crowd and onto the platform. Above the deafening squeals of the breaks, my siblings began to fuss, which was never a good sign. You could just imagine the sight that was met by the passengers once I'd stepped onto that train with two screaming kids. Some glared at me in annoyance, while others gazed at me with sympathy in their eyes. Most of them saw a flustered "teenaged mother" struggling to calm her babies. People were such idiots for judging.

In the midst of all this confusion, my crippling menstrual cramps returned, and I nearly doubled over in my seat in pain. To make things worse, A'sharía kept climbing onto my stomach.

_This is not the time,_ I told myself.

With every small tremor of the train car; with every jerking stop it made, the pain grew worse. I fought back the urge to cry once I approached my next stop. I rose from my seat, collected my bags and siblings once again, and paced back onto the platform; my back slightly bent over.

"Mama," André called to me, tugging at the hood of my coat.

He only called me "Mama" when he was tired or hungry, but I wasn't going to stop until I'd caught the next bus. Unfortunately, he wouldn't let me off that easily. I had to cram his mouth with Gerber Lil' Crunchies so that he would stop shrieking in that train station.

"No, André! Detener gritando (stop screaming)," I scolded in a firm voice, similar to that of my mother.

My siblings and I continued onward to higher ground. The blinding light brought water to my eyes as I climbed the last step. Luckily, I immediately met the bus, and rushed to catch the driver's attention before he sped off. I scanned my pass and spun around to find several of the football players from my school.

I groaned inwardly as their faces curled into menacing grins. My stomach jumped with angst, and my heart raced with anxiety. They usually drove their cars to school, which seemed strange to me that they were taking the bus. Among the group was Maya's boyfriend, who just stared at me with no emotion. He always stared at me like that, which truthfully, annoyed the hell out of me.

A'sharía seemed to call me the worst name possible as I walked towards my seat, keeping my eyes to the floor.

"Mama…" she said, which caused the boys to snicker.

"Your baby's daddy still working at Kmart? Don't worry, you'll get that car… if he stops spending money on drugs, that is," the wide receiver, Mike remarked.

"And, look, she's wearing her extensions down today," another said.

I tried my best to ignore those laughing jackasses while I searched for her bottle. They continued to badger me with relentless jokes and insults as I fed her a bottle of milk. My brother and sister didn't seem to notice my distress. A'sharía calmly suckled on the rubber nipple, her eyes drooping with exhaustion; and André silently sucked on his pacifier. They definitely had it easy compared to me. I calmed myself by looking into her eyes, stroking her face, and speaking to her in quiet Spanish.

"Why don't you breastfeed her? Are your tits _that _small?" he chortled, to the delight of his teammates.

Now, the ridicule was starting to get to me. That burning lump in my throat was starting to rise again. I cleared my throat. My eyes began to sting, and below me, my sister's face grew blurred. Laughter buzzed around my head like a swarm of bees.

_Do __**not **__cry. Not now; not today._

My stop was coming up. I could not cry in front of them. I tried to blink back tears before rising from my seat. At that moment, Mike gave me a slight shove, which caused the diaper bag to slip from my shoulders just as the bus came to a stop. I quickly fell to my knees to collect my things and rushed off as my tears finally fell.

Their stop was another block away, which gave me the consent to let out silent sobs. I reached down a shaky hand to my siblings, and walked them towards the building. I momentarily stopped in the lobby to regain my composure. My tears were wiped, my hair was tied up in a loose bun, and I walked towards the receptionist, managing a smile.

"Good morning, Barbara."

"Ah, good morning, Raquél? How are you?"

"… I'm good," I lied, hiding the crack in my voice.

"All right, then. Go ahead. I'll call the office right now," she said, flashing me a cheerful smile.

"Thank you. See you later."

The atmosphere of a daycare center always brought me back to when my mother used to drop me off at her school's daycare. I loved how the halls were decorated with posters of babies and I loved the smell of bottles of milk heating up. It was so quiet, so peaceful. I enjoyed this moment of comfort while it lasted.

A door swung open, and their caretaker Katy emerged. She placed her hands on her knees and gasped in dramatic surprise at my siblings. I let André run towards her, and she lifted him off the ground and threw him in the air.

"Good morning, André! How's my boy?" Katy cooed to my brother, causing him to squeak with laughter.

"Hey, Katy."

"Good morning, Raquél."

We shared a friendly hug once I placed A'sharía onto the floor.

"Getting in a little late today, are we?" she said jokingly.

"Well, I had to stop to feed André on the way. He wasn't going to let me go without feeding him," I laughed, my mood lifting a little more.

"That's okay. You want to say goodbye to them before you leave?"

"Sure," I replied, handing her the diaper bag.

Saddened to leave my brother and sister, I knelt down and pulled them close to me.

"Be good for me, okay? I love you two," I spoke to them, running my fingers through each head of hair. Both babies cleverly leaned in and kissed me on the lips.

I waved to Katy and blew them a kiss as I made my way towards the exit.

"Have a nice day, honey," Barbara called to me once I passed her desk.

"You too."

My mood declined once again as I pushed through the glass door. The school sat a block away, which gave me plenty of time to get out all of my nerves and prepare for another day of stress. My hands continued to shake, and as I took a deep breath, the exhale came out in a quaver. My mind convinced me to remain positive, although the negative thoughts would not go away.

Just around the corner, a group of kids that were cutting class began to sneer at me.

"Hey, it's the slutty mulatto. Goin' to class, _Niggerrican_?" the tallest girl laughed after blowing a puff of smoke in my direction. I held back a disgusted cough.

Ugh, that stupid word: "Niggerrican."

If I'd ever gotten my hands on the person who came up with that awful nickname, I would kill them. Period.

The metal handle stung my palm as I tugged open the front door. The hallway was empty, except for a wandering student on her way to the restrooms. She sent me a short grin while I walked past, but I quickly shifted my gaze and glanced down. Eye contact was always something I struggled with. The thought of looking into someone's eyes frightened me because I always felt that I could see the criticism in their eyes.

First period on my schedule rotation was English today, which meant that I was going to have gym class after lunch. How would I survive gym without food? Even though I was petite, my hunger was as monstrous as that of an entire football team. When I was hungry, I was _hungry_. It started when my stomach would growl so loud that my whole class heard, and if I did not get food by then, I'd grow weak and tired.

"Oh, God," I muttered to myself once I noticed my English class divided into groups through the window of the door. Group discussion day was the most brutal because no one wanted to work with me. My teacher Mrs. Brown approached the door with a smile and pulled it open for me. The 31 pairs of eyes directed their attention towards me, and I shrunk under their scrutinizing gazes. Some lit up with cold amusement, others narrowed with hatred.

From their group, Maya and Carlos flashed me an icy smirk.

"Glad you can join us, Raquél. We were just in the middle of our _Tell-Tale Heart_ discussion. Take a seat with Carlos' group, please," she said, and my mouth nearly fell in shock.

I was sure that she knew of my problems between Maya, Carlos and their friends, so why would she put me in a group with them?

Defeated, I hauled myself to my seat, keeping my eyes to the floor and plopped down in the chair.

"Hey, Raquél, we wanted to work with you so bad we asked Mrs. Brown to put you in our group. I hope you don't mind," Maya chirped in that sickeningly sweet voice. Her group members suppressed their laughter.

I couldn't help a quiet scoff as I unzipped my bag to pull out my binder. "Whatever."

The discussion went through the rest of class, but my group wasn't really discussing anything about the story, just themselves. I had to sit through class listening to Carlos and his friends' discussion of which girl had the best ass or the biggest breasts; or who screwed who on the weekend. It absolutely _disgusted_ me. Meanwhile, Maya found amusement in my pained expression. As always, she knew that I was on my period.

"Aww, suffering from cramps? Look on the bright side; at least we know you're not pregnant."

My worksheet was marked with abstract doodles as I tried to tune out her comments with the music in my head. From the moment I had awoken, one of the songs from my favorite movie, _Mamma Mia _replayed in my mind.

_Slipping through my fingers all the time  
I try to capture every minute  
The feeling in it  
Slipping through my fingers all the time  
Do I really see what's in her mind  
Each time I think I'm close to knowing  
She keeps on growing  
Slipping through my fingers all the time_

I smiled inwardly because Mami had sung _Slipping Through My Fingers _for me the night before. She had such a beautiful voice; much better than me. I couldn't sing, even though she kept telling me that I had perfect pitch. If anyone had perfect pitch, it was my mother.

"You should try out for your school talent show. With that voice, you'll definitely win!" she constantly encouraged, but I felt the pressure, because I knew I had the potential. I just never believed in myself.

Self-esteem was one of the many social qualities that I lacked. These were all symptoms of my SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder), which included excessive blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, and stammering. My guidance counselor diagnosed me when I was seven. I also suffered from panic attacks when I felt intense fear or discomfort, and had to go to a psychotherapist for several years for these problems. But the moment she considered using medication to treat my SAD, Mami walked out of the office in a huff, pulling me behind her.

Eventually, I was relieved of my minor anguish, and the bell rung, dismissing the class.

Carlos caught me finishing my math homework, and hovered over me.

"Oh shit! That was due today? I completely forgot to do it!" he exclaimed dramatically.

I knew what was coming, but continued to pack up my things. He swiftly snatched the paper out of my grip and studied it, as if he actually _understood_ Pre-Calculus. I wanted to smack myself in the forehead for letting him see.

"Looks about right. I hope you don't mind me borrowing this for period 5. Thanks, _Morena_."

He gave me wink before casually strolling through the door, chuckling to himself in satisfaction.

Great! Now I was going to have to spend my afternoon making it up after school.

Having my homework stolen had been a problem from the very beginning. Why else would _Maya_ and _Carlos_, of all people, be accepted into Pre-Calculus?

Could my day get any worse? (Why would I even question that?)

Thankfully, my next class was Italian, and only two of my tormentors were in that group: Maya's airheaded friends, Lynn Rodríguez and Rosa Marquez. Together, they had the combined intelligence of an ostrich. "Dumb Brunettes" was what I described them to be. Maya wasn't even a real friend to them. She belittled them, called them names, even _talked_ about them behind their backs.

Poor Lynn. If only she knew that her "best friend" was the one who had started that rumor about her and Mike…

Hoping to blend in with the thick crowd, I quickly maneuvered towards my locker, but I should have known not to go there because, guess who stood there waiting for me?

It wasn't my nonexistent friends if that's what you were thinking.

"Hey! Where's that $300 dollars you owe me?" Maya demanded loudly, causing me to flinch.

I dared to speak up, and replied in a small, trembling voice, "W-what $300?"

Before I could turn away, she had Carlos pin me against the hard lockers. The loud metallic bang caught the attention of every student in the hallway. I was literally in the air, hanging by my backpack.

"You know the money I gave you so you could have that _abortion_? I gave you that money and you promised to give it back."

Maya put emphasis on the word so that it was loud and clear to everyone. With that act, she could have won an Oscar. She seemed pretty convincing. Lynn and Rosa's eyes glittered with excitement at the birth of this new scandal.

"Don't give her that bullshit! Where's the money?" Rosa jumped in, pushing through the crowd of students. A corner must have been calling my name, because I wanted to crawl there, curl up and die.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I stammered, my voice cracking. I was close to tears, and I didn't want to cry in front of the crowd. Before I could make an attempt to wriggle free from my backpack, I was blindsided by a harsh slap to the face. The hall erupted with stunned gasps by the students, then went unbearably silent.

"That's the last time I do _you_ a favor! You better have my money before Monday," she yelled, obviously aware that she had never done a favor for me.

The confrontation ended as quickly as it began, and Carlos dropped me. I landed on my feet, but they buckled under the pressure, and I fell to the floor.

"Let's go, Carlos... _Puta_!" she sneered.

I had to dodge a bullet of spit as they stormed away, leaving me exposed to the huge wall of students. No one even tried to help me. They all walked away, without looking back and without acknowledging me any longer.

My tearful eyes cast to the floor in shame, and I was no longer worried about being late for Italian. Now my only concern was getting to the guidance counselor's office before she went on her lunch break.

**RMCR**

Despite my best efforts to spend the rest of my day in my guidance counselor's office, she encouraged me to go to my next class, which was gym. Since it was early release that day, it was my last class before dismissal. And although I had missed lunch, Mrs. Doherty was kind enough to split her lunch with me. That sushi was delicious.

I shook my head in protest from the leather couch where I sat, my knees to my chest.

"I can't face them again. They'll laugh at me," I murmured, lifting my head.

"Well, I don't know what else to tell you, sweetie, but you can't stay much longer. If you miss gym, that'll count as a cut class. Here, I'll tell you what: maybe we can go to the principal and—"

"No! That'll make things even worse by telling. Please, Mrs. Doherty, I won't ask you to do anything else but this," I pleaded.

She sighed to herself as the shut her notebook.

"All right, Raquél. I won't. But do me a favor and go to class. I really don't want to be responsible for getting you a detention."

My tears had dried up moments before, but I had a feeling that they would resurface again. I was fortunate not to have a panic attack, because I never recovered from those.

"Okay," I muttered, letting my feet drop to the floor. "I guess I'll see you on Monday."

"Raquél," Mrs. Doherty called to me, just as I was about to exit her office. I spun around, and was taken by surprise when she engulfed me in a tight embrace.

"I know you're a stronger than this. Just keep your head up and don't ever let anyone stand in your way."

"Th-thank you, Mrs. Doherty," I replied, nearly at a loss for words.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Have a nice afternoon."

"You too," I said, opening the door.

I watched Mrs. Doherty as she walked back to her desk, and she glanced up and sent me a wave.

Now I was on my own again. My hands tightly clutched the written pass once I turned the corner to the locker room. I reluctantly tread down the stairs, scared of having to face my class. I hated the attention; the feeling of eyes piercing through my skin, condemning me as if I was some kind of criminal.

The locker room was empty, and I was glad for having avoided an awkward run-in with one of my classmates, or _worse_. I hastily changed into my gym sweats, but not after tying my hair back. The ceiling above me rumbled with footsteps of people running, basketballs bouncing.

I slowly ascended the stairway leading to the gym. Shouts and whistles from my coach echoed through the cracks in the door. I fixed my hair, wiped my eyes, brushed off my clothes; and then pushed through, letting the stream of light hit my face.

One by one, each head turned in my direction and the gym grew silent. Basketballs dropped, students jogging on the track stopped and stared at me as I awkwardly made my way towards the coach, who didn't seem to mind my late appearance.

He took the pass from my hand, looked at it and simply said, "Alright… go run the track for 2 minutes, then get yourself a basketball."

"Okay," I replied timidly.

The students resumed their actions, but of course, Maya and her Cheerleader/Jock friends grinned at me with amusement from the far end of the gym.

Hesitantly, I began my jog around the long track. My face grew red with embarrassment as I heard quiet snickers from a group of kids. I suddenly felt nauseous with every step I took. My cramps were beginning to return, and this time, my stomach began to churn.

The nausea grew even worse by the time I'd circled the track, and was about to pass Maya. I ignored their calls and sneers, and kept running.

"I'm talking to you, bitch! Where are you going?"

My eyes straight ahead, I never noticed Mike sneaking up behind me. But once I did notice, I froze, paralyzed with fear.

"Where were you so long? Did you let someone bag you?" he taunted, the vibration of his laugh beating down on me.

"No," I murmured, and tried to walk past him. He grabbed me by the sleeve of my sweatshirt, and I couldn't escape as he dragged me towards the shark pit. Meanwhile, I spotted Maya's boyfriend chasing after a basketball.

"Look what I found, Maya. She still doesn't have your 'money'. What do you suggest we do with her?" he asked.

I was starting to get dizzy, and the group in front of me grew distorted. The voices were unintelligible to me, and the sudden blow to the stomach by a basketball brought me back, forcing a gag from my throat.

It was like hitting a start button. I clamped my hand over my mouth as the gush of bile climbed up my esophagus.

"Ohh look, she's gonna puke!" an indistinct voice called as Mike let go of me.

I doubled over, placed my hands on my knees and threw up onto the basketball court. The boys jumped back from me as if I had a contagious disease, and the coach ran over to help. The vomit never seemed to stop spilling onto the floor. My eyes watered, and my nose burned. I wanted to cry, but I was too tired. I waited until the fifth spew and stood up so that the coach could accompany me out of the gym.

Kids plugged their noses and scattered as we shuffled past, all groaning in disgust at the sight of the mess. The coach rushed me to the nurse's office, and before I knew it, they had my face down in a blue basin.

_It's a little too late for that, don't you think?_ I thought bitterly, as I coughed up remnants of my sushi lunch.

After I'd gone to the bathroom to wash out my mouth and blow my nose, the nurse offered me a cup of water, then asked me for my mother's phone number.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Richmond, this is the nurse. I've called to inform you that your daughter has had an incident in gym class…"

She paused for a moment, which created an awkward silence in the office. The coach had returned to class some few minutes before.

Mami was worrying. I could tell.

"No, no, she'd fine. She just threw up… I don't know, it must have been something she ate at lunch," she said, glancing over at me. The paper beneath me crinkled as I slowly shifted on the mattress.

"Okay, hold on… Raquél, dear? What did you eat for lunch?"

_Oh boy. This should be good,_ my inner voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I didn't go to lunch because I left my I.D. at home. But when I was in Mrs. Doherty's office, she let me have some of her sushi," I explained weakly.

After the nurse described to my mother the reason for my sickness, she came down in a flash.

School had finally let out, and the couch returned with my gym bag and books.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Mami kept repeating, smoothing my hair.

"It's okay, Mami. I'm fine."

She planted a kiss on my forehead and rocked me back and forth in her arms.

"I shouldn't have sent you; I should've listened. But after we pick up the kids, we'll go home and I'll prepare a nice, hot bath for you, and fix up some _**Asopao**_. Does that sound good?" she asked.

I silently shook my head and held onto her hand.

"All right, baby. Let's go."

The nurse called well wishes to me as my mother and I disappeared from the office. The ride home was so long and comforting. We inched into traffic on the highway, and I fell asleep listening to peaceful soft rock, while the toasty heat warmed my chilled bones.

It was safe to say I was never going to try sushi ever again.

**I hope you enjoyed it. Review please! **


	4. Ángelita

**Chapter 4: ****Á****ngelita**

_**Unknown Point of View**_

The team and I were down on our luck that morning once we discovered that Mike's car had broken down. Taking the bus to school was our next alternative. It wasn't very long, and Derek kept us laughing with his jokes.

As for me, I wasn't too keen on seeing the girl I had been dating for almost a year. She was part of the "un touchable" power clique, which consisted of cheerleaders, jocks, punks, drama department clones and school council preps. They were not very smart, or nice.

I never considered _her_ as my real girlfriend because of her selfish, devious ways. She was just like the rest: conceited, vindictive, judgmental—I wasn't like any of them; I just _pretended _to act that way. I was not really into snobby cheerleaders. When I transferred to the school during my Freshman year, she literally threw herself onto me, and from then on I was unable to escape.

Coming to America almost 3 years ago, I didn't expect to meet someone that was so coldhearted towards those who seemed different. I wanted a 100 percent genuine girlfriend. A girl who was beautiful, affectionate, smart, ambitious; and most importantly, a girl with a heart of gold.

I may have been asking for too much, but I was determined to find that girl. My two cousins would always tease me about being a hopeless romantic, and I never cared. I was going to find my Juliet… hopefully soon.

"So, excited for the big game tonight? You'd better be ready to kick some serious ass," Mike snapped me out of my thoughts as he gave me a firm slap on the back. I mentally put on my usual façade. This tough, boastful exterior helped to shield my emotions.

"Hell yeah! Those Greenwich faggots wouldn't know what hit 'em," I replied, slamming my fist against his. I had to fight back the urge to cringe after saying that word. In truth, I rarely swore, and I hated it. But I had to swear in order to be accepted. I had to just about everything that was against my morals to stay the "popular" quarterback.

For those of you who don't know, being popular did not always guarantee happiness. I'd had the experience, so I knew exactly what I was talking about.

The bus sped off from another green light, and roared around the corner to the street adjacent to the high school.

We'd had just about two more stops to go, when… There she was.

The girl who had been haunting my every thought and dream since the day I laid eyes on her: Raquél Richmond.

God was she gorgeous; like an angel. I secretly referred to her as _Ángelita_—little angel. She was a very petite, very curvy Latina. I had a terrible crush on her. Those bold emerald-green eyes sent chills whistling up and down my spine whenever she happened to glance at me. I always froze.

She wore her hair up all the time; and the reason she did was because everyone assumed that her hair was fake. Once when I caught her one day at the library, pulling out the loose bun, I was blown away! The thick mass of curls cascaded down her back and ended just above her bottom. (And I may be exaggerating a _little_, but it could put the Kardashian sisters to shame.) Her smile was dazzling and seductive, even though she rarely smiled; but when she did, my heart accelerated.

I had always wanted to go up to her and introduce myself to her. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem…

"Your baby's daddy still working at Kmart? Don't worry, you'll get that car… if he stops spending money on drugs, that is," Mike snickered.

Raquél hated me just as much as she hated the others. My teammates constantly harassed her, which angered me immensely. They would often call her names like slut, whore, geek; and even accused her of being a prostitute. It did not even make sense at all.

The pair of babies she had with her were _obviously_ her siblings, but more than half of the school's population believed that she had given birth to them. For the first time that morning, I discovered her affectionate side. She cradled her baby sister in her arms and whispered to her as she fed her a bottle of milk. The little girl reminded me of my baby cousin, who I went to visit almost every weekend.

Another harsh comment was tossed into the cocktail, this time about how "small" her breasts were. Now I wanted to punch Mike in the face.

It annoyed me how stupid and gullible high-schoolers were to believe some silly rumor. Other rumors that swirled around school consisted of made-up suppositions that Raquél slept with different members of the football, basketball and hockey teams; including with the younger male teachers. In my opinion, those rumors were just false bullshit.

I knew that she was not that kind of person. To everyone else Raquél was just a promiscuous nobody, but to me, she was a beautiful, intelligent girl who deserved nothing but the best. If only I could be the best for her.

The cruel, taunting voices of my teammates grew muted after I plugged my ears with ear buds. I could never bear to listen to them ridicule her. I never made fun of her, nor would I ever, but I used my excuse of being a football player to my full advantage.

Usually I'd explain to them that Coach or a teacher needed to talk to me. And whenever I was asked why I never said anything to Raquél, I'd simply say, "She's obviously not important, so why waste your breath on her?" It worked like a charm even though it hurt me to say it. They were so clueless they'd believe anything I said.

Technically I kept my distance because, one: I wanted to avoid being with my teammates around her, and two: her beauty certainly petrified me. Not in a way that completely drove me away, but because I literally had no control over my emotions around her.

The discovery of the exact magnitude of my "fear" just the other Friday, told me that I was about as safe as a deer caught in headlights. That afternoon seemed to drag on during my last period English class. To my relief the Peanut Gallery had decided to give themselves an early dismissal and skipped class.

Boredom had begun to set in by the second half-hour, and I sat, dramatically reclined in my chair, looking up at the ceiling to emphasize my anguish. Meanwhile, I absently wove a pencil between my fingers as Mrs. Brown explained the misconception of the quote "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" (Did you know it doesn't literally mean "where are you Romeo"?)

Ugh, being a school athlete sucked. It wasn't worth keeping up my grades to stay on the football team and _not_ gain a college scholarship out of it, but my teammates counted on me. They counted on me way too much.

Without warning, the pencil leapt free from my grip and landed on the floor beside Raquél. The light clatter caught her attention, but she didn't move. Just as I had begun to lean down to grab the pencil, she suddenly swiped it up and spun around to face me. I was totally caught off guard. Had her fingers brushed against mine, I think I would have withdrawn my hand as if I'd been burned.

Typically it would seem understandable think that any other normal person would've taken back the pencil and thanked her; but not me. My flourish of unsteady hormones caused me to become paralyzed once I met her eyes; those doe emerald eyes. I found myself growing lost in them.

Her gaze put a spell on me.

The ring of hazel around the pupil reminded me of the halo that should have been glowing above her head. Before, I'd never noticed the tiny dips that were etched in her cheeks and around her lips. Her skin was flawless and innocent, as if she was blessed with the skin of a newborn. The natural pout her lips held drew me in closer. I wasn't going to kiss her, but I sure as hell wanted to.

After what seemed like an eternity, I tried a friendly smile in hopes of convincing her that I was actually a nice person. The attempted beam helped me to no avail. Her thick, fan of lashes swooped down to tickle her cheekbones, and once they came back up; I found that the perfect emeralds had become darkened with hatred.

But she was still perfect. Her perfect eyebrows cut a sliding path down her perfect forehead as they furrowed. Perfect Raquél tossed the pencil at my feet and quickly turned her attention back to the front of the room, her silky, perfect curls nearly whipping me across the face.

I picked up the pencil, clearly hurt, and wrapped my palm around the implement so that I would feel the lingering heat of her touch. I was like an obsessive fan; a devotee who fawned over the simplest item in which my favorite celebrity had earlier touched. Even though I tried my best to keep my mind off of this amazing girl, I just could not shake her from my thoughts. I was infatuated by her.

No one could deny that she was a modern day Aphrodite. If only I could have been her Hephaestus…

There was something peculiar about her that morning; like she was in physical pain—not the emotional pain that my teammates usually caused her. As my friend Maya would sneer blatantly, "She's on her period so we know she's not pregnant."

I hated her with a passion; which I was sure would be presented as a shock to everyone else who thought we were "friends." Breaking off the friendship from the very beginning would have saved me the cerebral damage, but telling Maya that you didn't want to be around her anymore was just about as lethal as sticking an extremity into the ravenous jaws of a crocodile. It was not going to be easy at all, I knew, so I cut my losses and quit trying to avoid her.

The reason pathetic Maya tormented Raquél wasn't _entirely _beyond me… it was quite obvious. She was a "jealous bitch" as my cousin called her; who was also my real friend.

Out of the hundreds of jocks, cheerleaders, clones and preps in Philip Randolph high school; of all the people I refused to trust, my cousin and her best friend were my only two _real _friends. We spent as much time together as we could, even as the eyes of the superiority cliques looked down in disapproval because of the nature of it.

In school, my best friends were considered as rude, loud-mouthed school council geeks. Above the ferocious competition between preps and drama department clones, they stood behind the scenes, trying their best to shine in the spotlight, but falling short as always because of their places on the Food Chain. The differences separating us never changed my mind. I loved my friends because they were like sisters to me (although I _did_ have my own sister).

It saddened me on the inside to see the hard work of my cousin going to waste when I would find her election posters stamped with dusty footprints or pressed into crumpled balls, rejected and lying around the garbage bins. She had always hoped to break down the social barriers of high school; to dig deeper and tap into each student and find their real potential, even if those students were too self-gratified to find that potential.

I wanted to know who the real Raquél was. I knew that on the inside there rest a vibrant, friendly girl who never let anyone get in her way. If only there was a way to get that girl out to the students at Philip Randolph. I would have my cousin to thank for that miracle.

"C'mon, dude wake up!" a voice called to me, followed by a light punch to the shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Do you wanna stay on this bus all day? C'mon, we gotta get to homeroom; I gotta do my homework," Derek said hastily.

Back down the road, I spotted Raquél restraining her mass of curls in a hairband. It was clear to me that she was crying after having to endure harassment even before she entered the school.

Knowing that I was going to have to face the horde of superiority cliques, I was expected not to "screw up" as a superior popular. Which meant that I had to take part in the worst part of my day: by also harassing Raquél. Although my excuses often pulled me away from the negative camaraderie, I could not get my way all the time.

The only places where avoiding Raquél was virtually impossible was in my English and Gym classes. Even when we weren't in gym class, baggy sweats seemed to swallow her up every day. I thought she looked cute wearing those oversized sweats; but what I would give to see those perfect curves…

By a simple stroke of luck (well, for me) I had actually gotten the chance to catch a glimpse of Raquél without her sweatshirt one afternoon.

My teammates and I were strolling through the halls, dominating as usual, when Mike and Carlos decided to purchase bottles of soda. Mike had finished off his soda almost immediately, but Carlos… he was saving his for a certain "special someone."

As we began to walk past Raquél, her eyes nervously cast to the floor. Carlos took out his Coke, unscrewed the cap and whispered to me, "Watch this. I'm going to get this bitch good." It took me plenty of willpower to keep myself from snapping his dribbling arm (he was on the basketball team) in half; believe me, but as usual I did nothing. And to be honest, I felt like a selfish jerk for not doing anything.

After shouting an extremely offensive word in Spanish to Raquél, he hurled the half-empty bottle at her back. She recoiled in pain as the beverage ruining her top. Her reaction tore my heart to pieces. She dashed off to the girl's bathroom in tears, being chased by the sounds of punishing laughter. Nearly an hour and a half later she came into my English class wearing a fitted black tank top.

Her arms looked delicate to the touch, which made me a desire to run my palms along them. Her desk was directly in front of mine, and as she took a seat I found myself growing distracted by the pair of dimples that sat on the back of her shoulders. I had never seen anything like it. They winked at me whenever she moved her arms to write of fold her arms.

Watchful not to get caught checking out Raquél by my friends, I let my eyes wander over her beautiful curves, where they took in another pair of dimples on her lower back. My cover didn't stay concealed for long.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Mike hissed to me, which nearly caused me to blast off through the roof.

"W-what?" I asked dumbly.

"Were you checking out that geek?"

_Say something about her… something bad_, my head coached, though I knew that it would hurt to say it.

"Not even," I scoffed, hiding my nerves. "Look how fucking skinny she is. It's like she spent the last hour with her finger down her throat… or something _else_."

We shared a fist punch and a chuckle; only my laugh was painfully forced.

"I know that's right, but look at her. The geek's got a slammin' body. Maybe you and I can get the team together and gang-bang her," he laughed raucously, slapping me in the chest.

Now I definitely was not laughing. I took what he said very seriously. If I'd ever come to find that any of my teammates has hurt her, I would never be able to forgive myself. Since I kept these feelings to myself, anger was what usually drove me to succeed. The probably explained why I was the best player on my team. I channeled my aggression on the field and used that uncontainable fury to destroy my enemies. This was all because of the girl I had an obsession with. It was just who I was.

Unfortunately, I hurt a lot of people because of who I was. I hurt people I never even intended to hurt. Not just on the football field but with my family. My parents hated the people I claimed to be my closest friends; the friends who had no respect for authority or anyone else for that matter, and who judged without knowing. They wished that I would have made friends who strived to be genuine good people. Like my cousins. It was upsetting to know that they were disappointed in me.

"Why can't you be more like your cousins? They're such good girls," my mother would often compare their behavior to mine. Truthfully, I _was _like them. I was ashamed to admit the fact that I was a shallow person for not taking charge of my own life. The goals I held for myself could not be accomplished because of the possible scorn I might receive for succeeding it. Being shunned from the superiority cliques caused me to hide the actual person I was.

The popular high school quarter back I often displayed at school was not a real person. The real person I was never judged, he never had contempt against anyone, he had a _heart_. That real person also wanted to know Raquél Richmond. I knew something had to change, and fast. My opportunity to meet her was coming, and once I found that opportunity, I would grab it while I could. I was determined to have her.

By the time my English class had divided into groups of five for our discussion, Raquél still had not shown up for class. I was starting to get worried, only because I knew that she would have to work alone.

But that was until Maya said to Mrs.' Brown, "Even though Raquél's not here yet, we would love it if she worked with us." She was such an actress, batting her false eyelashes at the teacher.

"Well, you only have a group of four… I guess it's okay."

"Come on, boyfriend. You're in my group," I heard Rosa say from the other side of the room. The students who feared me—which, to me was outrageous—parted like the Red Sea the moment I was on my feet. They only "feared" me because they feared the superiors. Rosa pulled out a chair for me, and patted her hand on the seat with a bright smile.

And just when I had taken my seat, Mrs. Brown suddenly glanced towards the door and smiled. A cute, but weary-looking Raquél stepped over the threshold, her hands fumbling awkwardly as she kept her eyes on the teacher for silent comfort.

"Glad you can join us, Raquél. We were just in the middle of our _Tell-Tale Heart_ discussion. Take a seat with Carlos' group, please."

_Uh-oh_, I thought once I found the shocked expression on her face.

Without a word, she made a slow beeline towards Maya's group, and plopped down onto the seat. While the different members of my group began their discussion, my head was in a distant galaxy far, far away. I was in space, staring at the girl in awe… like I usually did; although I found it amusing the way Maya kept sending me a flirty grin.

If anyone was a slut in that room, it was Maya. I knew she slept around, almost everyone knew; and yet _she_ was the one who claimed that Raquél slept around. Cleverly, I returned the equally fake smile.

The next class on my schedule was Biology, but before I could even make it into the hallway, my senses picked up the sound of harsh yells. _Ángelita_ was being tormented, and I turned my back to the commotion, like I always did. I flinched at the sharp ring of a hand swiping across her delicate skin. Secretly, I hoped that Maya was responsible for hitting her, because if it had been Carlos, all bets would have been off. I'd have killed him with my bare hands.

She had disappeared for a while after the short clash, until she emerged from the locker rooms during last period Gym. Her attire had not changed much. Her jeans were only replaced by a pair of loose Capri shorts, and her hair was tied up with a different colored hair-band (that just proved how much time I spent my time devoting my attention to her).

Since she was late for class, the coach sent her to run around the track that circled around the gym; but I recognized the trouble before it began. As Mike approached us with the poor girl in his treacherous clutches, someone called me over to watch the "show" from far away. Meanwhile a basketball was being chased after, so the group had reduced by two.

I couldn't watch, so I snatched up the basketball and decided to begin a game. If I was as dense as my friends, I'd never have the ability to create such ingenious excuses.

Mike deserved a blow in the jaw for forcing that basketball into Raquél's stomach; the fragile thing. He let her go to my relief, but then she doubled over. Not in pain, but because she had thrown up where we'd been playing. Upon hearing my friends' groans of disgust, Coach rushed over and escorted her out of the gym. I wished that I would have helped.

Some 20 minutes after the incident, the class had dispersed to the locker rooms, but a few of us remained upstairs. Football practice was right after; I could not get a break!

"Hey guys, me and Sanchez were talking about gang banging that whore Richmond," Mike brought up the topic I had no part in mentioning earlier that day.

"Her? Why the hell would you do that when you got Rodriguez? Now, _she's_ hot. I'd hit that anytime!" Derek remarked.

"But dude, you haven't seen her without sweats. Baby got a body under there, you know."

"Ugh, I think I'll pass…"

_You'd better pass, dumbass_, I smirked to myself.

"Seriously! Just imagine it: we can get some rope and tape, jump her, and we'll each get our turns with her in that abandoned supply room. What do you say, man? You know how handle a camera, right?" he guffawed to me, slapping me on the arm.

"Hmm," I responded halfheartedly. Hopefully, this next lie would work.

"Why do you sound so unimpressed? I saw the way you were checking her out. All you were lookin' at was her ass."

"I am unimpressed. She's probably full of herpes and gonorrhea and shit," I replied, twisting my face in disgust. "You oughta see Maya in bed. Last weekend she rode me like she belonged in the rodeo."

That was the _biggest_ lie I had ever told so far.

I had never even touched Maya much less had sex with her. She often tried to seduce me, but I was afraid to think what I would see on that skinny body.

"Say what you want, but I'm going after her as soon as I get the chance. Shit, I'm out; I need to talk to Carlos about this," Mike muttered to himself, and with that, he strolled away at the ring of the bell.

That combination of lust and danger in his eyes had me uneasy from the start. I never trusted him _or_ Carlos. It troubled me to think what the two of them would do to Raquél, especially when no one was watching.

Sadly, either way, I couldn't do anything to prevent that from happening because I was too much a jerk to change. Why was changing such a hard process? If I could change all the things about me at the snap of a finger—if I could change my fear of being judged, if I could overlook what people thought of me, if I could win Raquél's heart—then I would need nothing else in the world but her.

I was disappointed once I found out that she had left minutes before the class ended. Whenever I'd catch her leaving, the urge to tug her back and kiss her was awful.

To kiss her would turn my legs to jelly. To lock her waist in my arms, get to know the contours of her perfect figure; to bury my nose into her hair and take in the sweet scent of her. If only I could gain the courage to prove my integrity to my friends, my family, myself and most importantly, to Raquél; I could make my dreams into a reality… There was no doubt in my mind that I would need nothing else in the world but _Ángelita_.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

_I hate… EVERYTHING._

_I hate my school, and the jocks and the cheerleaders that come with it, I hate Maya and her friends (she's such a bitch!), I hate bullies, hypocrites, jerks, populars, idiots, cliques, rude and/or stuck-up girls, egotistical boys… teenagers in general. I hate my teachers, I hate the mediocre education I'm getting—Mami could have just home-schooled me—I hate the city, I hate the bus, I hate the train, I hate the cold and snow. I hate my father and the fact that he was a terrible one, at that… _

Maybe I was overreacting. But I knew I wasn't; no one was going to read this anyway because I was not going to let them. I could say whatever I wanted, in the way that I wanted to.

Locked away in my bedroom as usual, I was on a writing frenzy, silently venting my frustrations into my diary. I often channeled my sadness through anger. My recordings consisted of my hatred for life and people in general, they always did. But it never took long for my hurt feelings to resurface; and I began to sulk about the things I hated about myself.

_I hate how I'm so short for my age. People think I'm 11 years old when I am actually and full three years older. I hate feeling so vulnerable, crying all the time and seeming helpless. Gaining pity from others embarrassed me. I hate not having the courage to walk up to someone whom I've never met, and start a conversation… It seemed as though everyone else but me had the ability to talk to pretty much anyone upon meeting them for the first time. Why couldn't I? _

My handwriting came to be smudged as I tried to write over the fallen teardrop that stained the page.

_I hate the fact that I have SAD and suffer panic attacks. I hate being scared, never having the courage to break out of my shell. I hate how I can't speak up for myself. I hate being so smart. (Who cares if I had a college-level education? I didn't want to start college at 14!) I hate having to take on so many responsibilities. Why should I be deprived of having the chance to go to the movies like any other teenager? I hate that the rug is always pulled out from under me; just when I think that the outcome is going to be a positive one, I never get to bask in the glow of true gratification._

Like the time I was eight years old and I had my first _real_ best friend. Her name was Giselle Rodríguez, and I met her when my family and I still lived in New Mexico. She was the only kid in the class who accepted me for me. Part of the reason was because she had a lot in common with me. It was reassuring to know that I was not the only ___**Puertorriqueña **__**in New Mexico. **_

_**We were inseparable—sitting next to each other in class, handing around silly notes to each other, making plans to have double weddings in the future; having sleepovers just about every weekend. Giselle stood up to my tormentors when no one else would, she made cards for me when I was sick; she was like the sister I never had. At that time… We became sisters, and no one would ever change that. But that was until I found out that she was moving back to Puerto Rico. I was devastated, to say the least, and cried until I thought I'd run out of tears. That was not all. Then I found out that **____**I**__** was also moving; to New York City, that is! Only a week after Giselle moved away, Mami, my dad and I made the transfer to New York… and on top of that, she told me that she was having a baby. It was a well-known fact that I could never be happy.**_

_**Even though I felt that I did not deserve to have my own way, just once did I wish to have my way. That being said…**_

_I hate that I can never have any real friends. The meaning of a true friend held a blank caption in my book of experiences. So was having my first date. Would I ever have a boyfriend? And in the long run would I grow up to be alone and never marry? I also wanted him to love me no matter what, and someday let him take my virginity. I hate how I seem to repel any guy who was attractive… Maybe it was because of the way I looked._

Then I switched gears and moved onto every single flaw about my appearance and my body that I hated.

_I hate my "exotic" green eyes. Mami told me that they were an "exotic rarity from God." Whatever, Mami! I just didn't like them because I thought they looked bizarre. I hate my nose and how it's __**not**__ proportionate to my face. Mami wouldn't let me get a nose job. My lips are too big and make me look like I'm pouting most of the time. I hate my figure and how I can't go in public without some creep complementing me on my curves. _

_My breasts were too small, my hips and my butt were too big—a happy medium was what I really wanted. I hate the dimples I have on the backs of my shoulders and my lower back. The upper pair was not normal, and I felt like only girls who wore tramp stamps had dimples on their lower back; not me. I hate the way my hands could not grip anything larger than a basketball. They were so small you'd think that they belonged to a child. My feet were also freakishly tiny. Both Mami and I borrowed the same size __**four**__ shoes from each other. I hate my hair and the mass of curls I can't control. I had always wanted to straighten out the tight curls but I was sure that the look would make me look even __**uglier**__. That was it… I was simply ugly, not even plain. _

_And in conclusion, I hated everything._

"Done," I said to myself, once I slammed the diary shut.

"Raquél, baby! Es hora de la cena (it's time for dinner)!" Mami called for me, just as I got up to walk into the living room.

"Okay, I'm coming."

My diary was put back in its usual spot—in a locked chest beneath my bed—so that no one could find it. If my mother read half the things I wrote in my diary, she would be disappointed to find out that I didn't love myself. It was true that I loved my closest family members with all my heart, but I never found it in my heart to love myself.

"That took a while," she said once I emerged from my room. "What were you doing in there?"

My dad was not home, as usual, and left Mami to feed my siblings and me by herself. I wondered what he could have been doing in the evening that would prevent him from being home for dinner.

"Just homework."

After I made sure that my baby brother and sister sat securely in their booster chairs, I began to pass around the plates of food before helping myself to dinner.

"Are you okay, baby?" my mother asked for the hundredth time that day. Her features contorted with concern like they always did, and she resembled my grandmother whenever she nervously tucked her hair back.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

That was basically the lie I told my mother every day. She even knew that I was never okay, and when she asked, I wanted to lift at least one burden from her shoulders and insisted that I was indeed "okay". Mami was already up to her neck in stresses as it is.

She brought a forkful of noodles to her mouth and ate before giving me a short smile.

"Did you write in your diary?"

I contemplated my decision whether to tell her that I had already used the diary to its full capacity (I bought a second one without telling her), but then gave her the same answer that I had been giving her since the day she bought it.

"… No, not yet."

"Well, if you don't feel comfortable writing your feelings down, then maybe you should talk to me about it. If you ever need to talk anytime… I'm here," Mami offered, then flashed me a shy grin, which was more identical to mine than her own. She was the parent who was responsible for passing on her naturally shy demeanor to me. I sensed that she was silently prying in an effort to find some common ground with her daughter; but I did not answer.

Letting out a sigh, she sat back in her chair, defeated, as I filled my mouth with food to avoid speaking. After a long and awkward silence, Mami broke the tension once she impatiently cleared her throat.

"I'm only 28, honey—not even 30 years old. You're a teenager. I'm still learning; still trying to understand how life is for you. But if you do want me to understand, please… tell me what's wrong," Mami pleaded with me.

She always struck a nerve whenever she claimed that she was "trying to understand." It honestly upset me. As much as I loved my mother to death, she would _never _understand what life was for me. My mother only thought that she could easily relate to me because she was still very young herself. Although my mother should have been in her 30s by now, her efforts to understand me remained the same even in her 20s: completely futile.

My father suddenly emerged from the foyer after his second day at his new job. Mami, followed by Jazmyn, Chaya and Aquilína, all leapt from their chairs to treat him with hugs and kisses. After my reconciliation with him a few days ago, Papi (I didn't refer to him as Dre anymore) and I had slowly begun to patch up our relationship. I smiled up at him as he swept his fingers along the nape of my neck, and dropped a kiss at the top of my head.

"How's my babydoll?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Papi…"

My father now occupied the empty seat beside me and fixed himself a dinner plate.

"Are you sure? You Momma told me what happened earlier."

"Mami," I sighed irritably. "Why do you feel the need to tell everyone how bad my day was? I don't want to talk about it."

"Why are you so reluctant to talk about it, baby? We_ are_ your parents," he pointed out.

"Because you guys don't understand what I go through—no, what I _have_ to go through every single day; you never do. It's obvious that I'm not going to be happy unless you send me to another school."

"Raquél, there's no need. And for the last time, we just can't afford it right now," Mami reminded me. Like I actually needed to be reminded. She'd been telling me that for the past couple months.

"But what about Papi? He has a job again, so you two can save up the money to send me to the school closer to here."

Apparently, my argument was just a waste of time to my parents. They were just selfish. I only knew that because they spent their money on unnecessary things like toys for my siblings when they could have used it to transfer me to another school.

Now was the cue for me to storm off to my bedroom in a huff and stay there sobbing for the rest of the night. Finally fed up with my parents' meaningless efforts to compromise with me, I pushed my chair back in an outrage.

"Oh my God, just forget it! There's no point in trying to get you guys to actually_ listen _to what I'm trying to tell you, because I'll be stuck going to that stupid school either way. No one ever does anything for me; it's always the girls or the babies, or _yourselves_!"

Before Mami could answer with a heated retort, I stomped off to my bedroom.

"Ahh! I hate my life!" I shrieked before slamming the door shut.

For the rest of the night, my face remained buried in my pillow, growing stained with tears. This was part of my everyday routine, and I feared that my life would never change unless it all ended with a tragic conclusion. If nothing changed soon, that was sadly going to become my only option. And I hoped that I would not to come to that decision anytime soon.

Would anything ever change for me?

**Glad you enjoyed this chapter. I hope this gives you more insight on Raquél's unknown admirer and how he really feels about her. I won't be revealing who this guy is anytime soon to you, so I'll leave the solving up to you. Also, I hope this helps you to realize how bad of a situation Raquél is facing in her life at school and how it affects her at home. Please review!**


	5. Never Would Have Guessed

**Just to let you know, since I'll be keeping her admirer a secret for a while don't be fooled by what you read. Not every person you may suspect is not all who you think. Also excuse any typos you may see; I try to avoid them by reading over each chapter but they sometimes seem to go unnoticed until I go back and realize that there are in fact, some mistakes. **

**Chapter 5: Never Would Have Guessed**

**Raquél **

_So… here's some news that I actually __**had**__ been expecting to hear for a while. As it turns out, Andre has been cheating on my mother for not just a couple weeks, but for almost TWO years! I'm still very angry, to say the least; but no one is as furious as Mami. The house has been left destroyed after her emotional tirade. My aunt just dropped me, my siblings and my cousin Nayna from the train station, and when we came in the house she seemed happy to see her, but I saw that there was something else in her eyes: Hurt. _

_Mami called aunt Aurelía to talk to her, but while I was left in the living room with Nayna, she was up to her normal, prying ways. As usual, she asked me about boyfriends, sex and all that jazz. _

"Do you have a boyfriend? What's his name? How long have you been going out? Did you have sex yet?" Nayna continued to interrogate me, against my utter humiliation.

My cousin never appeared to understand that I _had_ no social life, unlike her and what seemed like every other teen in America.

"For the last time, Nayna, no… Mami won't let me," I lied, fighting to hide the shade of red that stained my cheeks. Although I thought the excuse would work, sometimes she held what I'd say against me.

"You said that last time, remember?"

"Well… I'm not really interested in the boys at my school; they're not attractive enough for me to picture myself being with _any_ of them," I scoffed.

It was sort of true, because when I looked at the boys who went to my school, they were nothing but disgusting, perverted pigs. I'd rather grow old by myself if it meant ending up stuck to one of those jackasses.

"Right… Tell me you don't have at least _one _crush? What about the athletes?"

_No way! _I screamed to myself. Nayna had no idea what the athletes thought of _me._

"Are you kidding? They are a bunch of dense, sweaty idiots. Why would I go out with a jock if I can go out with a guy who actually has a brain in his head instead of in his muscles?"

"Hey! My boyfriend is smart!" Nayna defended her jock boyfriend. "And, FYI, Jose is absolutely _hot_ when he's sweaty."

Since I was so unknowing to the idea of having a boyfriend, I would never understand why girls thought of sweaty boys as hot. Nayna seemed so happy, having a boyfriend. She was so beautiful and confident; maybe that was the reason she was so attractive. I, on the other hand, was not.

My gaze fell to the floor as I twirled a curl of hair between my fingers. I was so eager, yet so hesitant to find out her secret.

"H-how did he become your boyfriend? Like, how did you start to talk to him?"

"I don't know… We were lab partners in Chemistry, and I noticed that he had a crush on me. Since I thought he was cute, I asked him out to the movies. I guess if you have instantaneous chemistry, everything will work out fine," she said, with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Instantaneous chemistry" was apparently not in the cards for me.

"But how do you know when a guy has a crush on you?" I asked, not satisfied with her answer.

Nayna leaned back in her seat, glancing to the side in contemplation.

"Well… if he stares at you a lot. And if he seems to be nowhere in sight whenever you're around. If he tries to get close to you by touching you—not, like in the perverted way, just by holding your hand or putting his arms around your shoulder. Jose used to flirt, and tell me that I looked pretty whenever we worked together in class. I guess if you're curious, you'll have to pay attention to the guys around you."

"Hmm, let me check and see if any boy has ever done that around me…" I began sarcastically, counting on my fingers for emphasis. "The boys in my school; they don't stare at me unless it's with a disgusted look, no one has _ever _tried to get close to me because I must reek of some phantom stench; no boy has ever, and I mean ever tried to flirt with me unless it was some mean joke… and there's no point in paying attention to any of them because I'm just _not_ attractive."

"What do you mean? You're absolutely hot, Raquél! If no guy in that school wants to go out with you, then maybe they are idiots like you said."

I rolled my eyes, scoffing in denial. Nayna _could_ have been right. What if there was at least one guy that went to my school who had a huge crush on me?

"I don't think I'll ever get a boyfriend… it just seems impossible for me. I guess I'll never know what it's like…" I sighed, putting my chin to my palm. "Even if that guy did like me, he probably knew me because he was a bottom-feeder, like me."

"Don't give up yet, Raquél. I'm sure whoever wants to be your boyfriend just isn't brave enough to talk to you yet. He probably wants to talk to you, but maybe he's nervous about what you might think about him. And you're not a 'bottom-feeder'. I know you're much more liked than that; you just don't know it. But, trust me; be yourself, and the guy might just surprise you when you find out who he is," Nayna said encouragingly, and wrapped her arms around my shoulder for support.

"I don't know… nothing's changing for me yet."

"But it will, Raquél… I promise," she smiled.

"Ohh," I crooned, pulling my cousin into a tight hug. "I love you, Nayna. You're like my only best friend. I you're your Mami would let you move in with us."

"Ugh, me too, girlfriend. I hate my high school… nothing but bitchy, backstabbers and senseless drama."

"It's no different here, trust me."

Nayna hugged me again and giggled.

"Hey, remember you were supposed to show me your drawings. Let's go to the bedroom," she reminded me, and took me by the hand as if I needed to be led to my own room.

"Okay, okay, wait. Don't drag me there!"

_Perhaps nothing can ruin this night with my cousin_, I thought positively, for once.

_Everyone seems to be okay, so I have nothing to worry about._

**~RMCR~**

Maybe I was wrong for thinking that I could have at least a moment without heartbreak. After I—along with Nayna and aunt Lia—found out that my father was a cheating bastard. He also got the girl pregnant! I always had a feeling that we were bound to find out sometime soon, but I wasn't expecting to have such a dramatic reaction.

I ran from the room crying, and made an attempt to lock my mother out of my bedroom, but being much stronger than me; she forced her way in. We talked for a while, and she promised that she was going to be there for me no matter what. She didn't have to promise, because I knew that she loved me too much to break my heart.

Now that I was going to have separated parents, I would have to get new to the idea of seeing Mami with someone else. Like that man she met in Central Park—Troy was his name, and she was completely crazy about him. Leave it to Lina to lead Mami to the man of her dreams… literally. From what I heard he was an absolute saint.

But I would be the judge of that. When it came to my mother, whoever ended up breaking her heart had to pay, and now, _Andre_ had to pay for cheating on her. I could not believe that I let him fill my head with such deceptions. "I love you; I'll always be there for you." Well, if he did, he would not have cheated on my mother, now would he?

I did not have to spend my time crying over him when I had more important things to think about. My mother needed help taking care of my siblings more than ever, and I was determined to lift some of the burden from her shoulders. Also with the help of my family… and perhaps that guy, Troy.

He seemed promising after Mami revealed to me that he had been in the house earlier to comfort her. Whatever happened from then on, I was going to be there for my mother, as she was there for me.

I spent the rest of my night completing homework, and writing in my diary. This time, my entries were not as negative as they typically were written. I seemed to find a positive outlook in all of this, starting with the reassurance my cousin had earlier given me. Nayna had told me that I needed to be myself. Why was it so easy to let go of my inhibitions around my family, but when it came to school, why it was so hard to be myself? If I was going to find out the reason, I would have to dig deeper within myself, but before I could do that, I would have to embrace myself first.

_I should be able to look in the mirror and say to myself… Ugh! I don't know what to say about myself. Yeah, I have a really high I.Q.; so what? Mami does it for me. She says "you're beautiful, intelligent, and confident; with the biggest heart of gold." Funny, if I do have a heart of gold, then I wouldn't hate my father. But now, I have an excuse to hate him. If I do have all those qualities, why can't I get a boyfriend?_

_Maybe my demeanor isn't right. Fumbling hands, eyes to the floor, quiet stuttering speech, flushed cheeks—that was not attractive. Even though I can't help being super-short, I can always try to walk a little taller, and with my head up. I should start by changing my wardrobe. Tomorrow I'll try to wear a cute top and jeans, and let's hope that no one will notice… __**especially**__ Maya. _

**~RMCR~**

All eyes seemed to be on me as I entered the school. Kids were making such a big deal out of it, because I happened to wear "normal" clothing for a change. I just grabbed the first top in my closet that happened to be within reach, and put it on without any doubts. Now, I was starting to have doubts about my decision. The unfamiliar tap of my new, two-year-old ballet flats caught the attention of every student as I passed **(entire outfit in profile)**. The initial shock of my altered appearance was enough to render the halls silent.

Despite my efforts to blend in with the crowd, I had failed miserably. Every critical gaze seemed to kick my self-confidence down another peg. Before I thought I would end up turning back and dashing out of the school, I tried to calm my pounding heart by taking a deep breath.

_You can do this… Just go straight to your locker, and then on to homeroom. Everything's going to be fine_, I convinced myself, directing my focus on the goal to make it to my locker in one piece.

My ponytail of curls bounced against my lower back as I hurried to gather my books. I sensed that word of my new "look" had already begun to spread by an unwanted source. Just as I'd collected the last of my things and slammed the locker shut, Maya appeared along with her band of tormentors.

"Aww, isn't that precious? Look who's trying to fit in, guys… How cute!" she cooed with a sarcastic ring.

I stood there frozen with my usual "deer-in-headlights" expression; but something inside me built the courage for me to speak up.

"I-It's not mine—I… I borrowed it fr-from a friend," I lied quietly, with a severe stutter.

Oh, how I hated my SAD… My symptoms always seemed to act up at the wrong time.

"Friend?" Maya scoffed while folding her slender arms. "You mean that slut who hangs out on the corner a block away? You're obviously her type, anyway—showing your boobs to everyone… Good effort, but next time, ditch the cheap push-up bra."

And with that, the group shuffled away, shooting me equally menacing glares. But to my surprise, among the dispersing superiors, Carlos stood behind for a moment, and gave me the most odd, yet charming smile.

"Don't listen to her, Raquél. You… you look beautiful," he whispered, and winked at me before disappearing into the crowd.

As much as I hated to admit it, he actually seemed genuine. It was the first time he had called me by my real name. The usual mocking gleam in his eyes was gone, and I could not help but notice that the unfamiliar affection in his tone had calmed my nerves. That was not all... he blushed!

Unreservedly perplexed, I adjusted my books in my arms and continued my stroll towards homeroom. Carlos' peculiar behavior did not stop there; and I honestly didn't know what to think. Was it some part of another cruel joke or was he truly honest about what he said to me?

Maybe Nayna was right. Never in a million years would I ever suspect _Carlos_ to be crushing on me. But I knew I had to be careful and trust my instincts around him, because I didn't know how dangerous he could have been.

The very _next _day I had retuned in my typical attire, but Carlos remained unrelenting his strange behavior. In English class, he made sure that he had joined my discussion group. He took a seat beside me, but not before complimenting me a second time—this time on my hair. On a typical day, he'd usually give my hair a harsh tug hoping to pull back a wig; but that day, I nearly jumped back in shock as he reached behind my back and stroked my curls.

"I never noticed how long your hair was. You should wear it down more often."

The butterflies that fluttered wildly on the inside of my stomach seemed to incite a blush. I just could not shake his voice from my thoughts. Something in that gentle voice told me that I could trust him; which was the last thing I wanted to do. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Maya's jaw fell in outrage.

"What are you doing talking to her, Carlos?"

If that was not embarrassing enough, I glanced up to find angry pairs of eyes glaring at us from some of her other popular friends. Maya's boyfriend, Mike, and Derek, glared at me the most; almost as if they wanted to kill me.

I shrunk into my seat with an insecure slouch, but an encouraging arm wrapped around my shoulders… none other than Carlos.

"Don't talk to her like that, Maya! She's a human being with feelings, and you wouldn't like it if she talked to you that way," he defended me, sending an anticipative tingle up my arm as he rubbed it for support.

"Oh, she won't… Because she's too much of a loser to say anything to me! I can't believe you, Carlos; after all _we've _done for you, you humiliate us by coming onto that slut? Take your arm off of her!" she demanded, and I prayed that he would for the sake of my protection.

"Carlos, please let go," I plead quietly, making sure that only Carlos could hear.

"No, it's okay, Raquél. Just ignore them."

He turned back to them with a brave face and took my hand. This was all happening so fast! First he complemented me on my appearance, he made physical—not the abusive kind—contact, and now he was standing up for me. If this was a dream, I hoped to wake up. And fast.

"No! I like her, Maya—a lot. And it doesn't matter what _you_ or anyone else here thinks," he argued; but the puzzling conflict was too much for me to bear.

"I need to step outside. I don't feel very well," I murmured to him, and rushed out the classroom before I felt the urge to throw up.

Before I could run and disappear down the corridor, Carlos chased after me, and gently pulled me back so that I could not escape.

"No, please don't touch me, Carlos. Wha-what's going on? Why are you being so nice to me? Why _now_?" I rambled on, flustered as panic began to sink in.

"There's no need to be scared, Raquél. Just let me explain…"

"No—look, I-I need to go; this is too much for me."

He never relaxed his grip on my arms and placed both palms on my shoulders in an effort to keep me calm.

"Please… let me explain. I know you probably don't believe me right now, but trust me; this is real," he said once the flash of hurt had disappeared from his features.

I took a deep breath and leant against the row of lockers. "I don't know what to believe, honestly. Y-you torment me, like, every single day and now you suddenly_ like_ me? This better not be a joke, Carlos!"

"No, no, no—I… It's just that I've had a crush on you ever since I saw you on the first day… And, I guess I was so hesitant because I was a so-called 'superior' and my friends only dated populars. Then when they started to turn on you, there was nothing I could do but go with it. I was too much of a jerk to say anything because I was afraid of what they'd think of me," he explained, and intertwined his fingers with mine. I, for one, was still startled by his unusually affectionate actions, and gingerly pulled my hands away.

"And why the sudden change of heart?" I questioned skeptically.

"Because it doesn't matter to me anymore; you matter to me, Raquél. Please, I… I just want a chance with you. That's all I'm asking."

I searched his newly softened gaze, expecting to find any signs of mock or deception; and I'd come to the conclusion that Carlos was speaking from the heart. I had grown weary with apprehension, but the genuine statement was enough to keep me at ease.

"Seriously?"

He folded his lips together, possibly contemplating his next response. A deep scarlet broke out onto my face like a rash, spreading quickly to my ears. Carlos tucked a curl away from my face, and his palm stroked the nape of my neck while his thumb traced over my cheekbone.

Before I could figure out why his eyes kept drifting to my lips, I staggered back in shock as he leant in to give me a lingering kiss.

"Seriously," he chuckled softly.

Of all the boys in my school that I had predicted to be my first kiss, none of them happened to be Carlos. I'd received my first kiss from my tormentor.

We exchanged coy, blushing glances before our shocked student-teacher Ashley called us back to class. Had Mrs. Brown not have the errand to copy worksheets, Carlos and I would've been sitting in the principal's office. Boy was I thankful to have a student-teacher… one who was actually nice to me.

Once English was over, Carlos kindly carried my bag for me, and as he led me into the hallway, I mentally braced myself for the multitude of critical stares we were about to receive.

But luckily for me, my class had gotten an early dismissal, and Carlos had me on edge as he followed me to my locker. He flashed me another charming smile, placing my book bag onto the floor beside me. The butterflies ensued once more when he leaned in to kiss my cheek, and grasped my palm.

He strolled away from me backwards, and slowly, his fingers parted from mine; almost as if he never wanted to leave me.

"Bye, Raquél… I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked me, his tone almost timorous.

"Uhh… s-sure. See you tomorrow, Carlos."

I watched the muscles on his back ripple beneath his shirt as he finally turned his back. As much as it was going to be hard for me to accept, Carlos had serious feelings for me, and I could not keep my guard up much longer. If I wanted take a chance with him, I knew that I would have to break out of my shell and learn to trust my instincts.

This time, my instincts told me that I _had_ to trust Carlos.

On the _third_ day (I couldn't believe it either!) of the inexplicable occurrences, Carlos insisted to meet me outside the school that morning, but I was not as willing to comply. Lots of kids hung around the building before the morning bell rang, and I was terrified to face the swarm of my worst fears: teenagers.

The stares began once Carlos accompanied me through the doors, and that incited sudden gossip.

My eyes following the passing blue linoleum, I kept my gaze to the floor. My ears began to grow hot as confused whispers and disbelieving gasps swirled around me. My self-conscience sunk lower with every critical assumption.

"Are they going out or does she just need extra money? Why would he go out with _her,_ of all people? Carlos must be delusional if he wants to waste his time on her. Look at what the slut's wearing; it's obvious that she's sleeping with him… What _was_ he thinking?" Some I heard, some I assumed to have heard.

And those comments were not the worst of it.

Carlos sensed that I had been shrinking underneath the harsh reproach of the horde, and hooked his arms around my waist for encouragement.

"Don't listen to them. Come on, we're almost to the gym," he said.

As _if_ I needed to be stuck with my oblivious gym teacher and Maya's pack of wolves for 45 minutes!

Before we entered the gymnasium, I pulled him back apprehensively.

"Carlos, I don't feel so well. Can you ask coach for me if I can sit out?" I asked in my small voice.

"I don't know if he will… I mean, unless you have a note, I guess. But I'll ask for you, okay?"

"Okay."

He opened the doors for me and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Heads turned and craned in our direction, each face wearing a mask of hate. Maya and her clique forced my eyes back to the floor as I walked past. I left Carlos to speak with the coach, but he quickly returned to inform me that my request had been rejected.

It was a relief to know that they had changed before I had, because had I been in the locker rooms minutes before… Well, like I _needed_ to tell you what might have happened.

Reluctantly, I had resurfaced just as the coach began to prepare the class for warm-up stretches. I hated warm-up stretches. We did them as a class only when Gym was a lunch block that day.

Despite having the ability to contort my body in the most incredible ways, I tended to hesitate knowing that I had a class full of perverts. They craved my body—I knew it, and I often held back stretching my body to its best possible extent to avoid any "unwanted" praise. Trust me, I've witnessed these responses as there were a few cheerleaders in the class.

"Come on, Richmond! You can stretch better than that!" a booming voice echoed through the air, causing me to flinch.

"I can't, it hurts," was my usual excuse.

Naturally, I had expected him to move on with his classic eye roll, but this time he marched over me and pressed his palms onto my shoulders to force me into the stretch. Most of the kids chuckled at the awkward scene; and while their split legs remained two feet from the floor, my teacher managed to force me into a _full_ split.

The class broke into gasps, thinking that he might have injured me, but I wasn't in any pain. My face, however, had become reddened with humiliation. Before I could scramble to my feet to cover up my stretch, the same voice bellowed, "Keep stretching!"

"Doesn't that hurt?" a girl beside me questioned, her eyes wide with incredulity.

"No—not really…"

"Do you dance?" she continued to pry, seemingly fascinated with my ability.

"No; I just stretch to relax," I replied timidly. Even for me, reading grew boring after a while.

Behind my back I sensed that there must have been about 17 pairs of hungry eyes burning into my skin as I continued to stretch. As ill at ease as I felt, my gaze shifted to Carlos, who sent me a coy grin. But in his eyes, I found that there were no traces of desire like there had been in every other boy in my class.

Putting the brief incident aside, I got to my feet and reluctantly schlepped towards one of the many obstacles I had to face during gym period: the dreaded Volleyball net. Why did it have to be volleyball?

Of all the sports I absolutely loathed, Volleyball was the sport that always seemed to catch me in its snare. The net wastoo high, I was too _short_, and I could not jump nearly as high as my teammates.

I knew that this session would end with my team yelling at me for dodging the ball and making them lose. Who could blame me for dodging a speeding ball? Their piqued shouts added literal insult to injury after my arms would be left blemished with bruises.

Carlos caught up with me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. He must have spotted my disgruntled expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I imagined Maya must have been watching us, with her arms folded tightly across her chest.

"Of course not. I hate volleyball… they yell at me if I don't hit the ball; I just don't want to play."

"Ohh, come on—don't be like that. How about you join my team and I'll cover for you, okay? Just stay next to me," he encouraged, grasping my hand.

Since the coach had assigned him to be captain of the first team, they all groaned in protest once they realized that I was going to be on their team. Each student dispersed and went to their assigned positions. I was thankful to be in the back for once, because when I was usually picked to be on a team, they would put me in front just to laugh at my awkward skills.

As the coach made his way towards the ball closet, I prayed for a miracle.

_Let there be a fire drill, let someone (besides me) get sick and throw up, let the ground open up and swallow me… __**anything**__ besides Volleyball! _

He disappeared into the closet, only to emerge plodding in frustration.

"Derek! Didn't I tell you to inflate these balls yesterday? I specifically told you that Volleyball was going to be on the agenda!" he bellowed, scarlet in the face.

"Sorry, Coach; but I thought you said Basketball, not Volleyball!"

It may have taken a while but, at least I'd gotten my miracle.

Some flinched as he brought out a flat volleyball and slammed it onto the court.

"How the hell did you hear Basketball?"

As it turned out, we ended up having free choice for gym, and the coach left us with three choices. The class separated and divided into groups for their desired choices. As expected, the football hotheads went running off to play football, while the lazy superior girls walked around the track.

Carlos was a basketball player, and decided to teach me how to shoot a basketball. A nervous chill rushed up my spine as he placed his hand on my hip for a moment. But then I figured put that he was trying to show me the correct stance.

"Okay, start by making sure that the air hole is between your middle and index fingers, and spread your fingers far enough apart to balance the ball in one hand. The hand you're not shooting with is on the side of the ball and when you go to shoot your balance hand shouldn't add spin to the shot," he instructed.

His palm covered mine as he guided my fingers around the ball. I couldn't help leaning into him. The warmth of his breath on my neck had drawn me closer to him.

"Good; now put move your feet so that they're shoulder-width apart, and make sure that your shooting foot is slightly ahead of the non-shooting foot."

Another shudder was provoked as his hand seemed to stay on my waist even longer.

"Now, bend your knees slightly, and before you shoot keep your elbow under the ball—but don't dip the ball. Okay, and come up slowly… starting with your legs, core, and arm power at the same time. Then extend your elbow and wrist in a straight line to the basket. Shoot… now."

I used of all my power to create as much up force as I could, and tossed the basketball, uncoiling my body just as he had instructed. Carlos and I momentarily held our breaths as the ball sailed through the air.

As for the results… the ball swished through the net with ease. I let out a short, relieved laugh; glad to have completed the attempt without a humiliating miss.

"Good job," he praised just above a murmur.

Even as the basketball had bounced out of my hands, Carlos never loosened his grip around me, and swept my curls aside to whisper to me, "You smell amazing… Not many people know this about me, but I _love_ Lavender."

Considerably too stunned to even utter a word, exhilaration responded for me by flushing my cheeks. The feeling between us was enigmatic—Carlos and I seemed to be the only people in the gym. Like he had done the day before, he let his gaze shift from my eyes to my lips, and began to lean in. At that moment, all my inhibitions had diminished long enough to boost my confidence. I leaned my face into his warm caress while he guided the pad of his thumb along my cheek, relaxing my searching features. This kiss was going to be serious, and frankly, I had been anticipating it.

Our lips were apart by mere millimeters, when…

"Hey!"

My heart rate spiked by a few beats, and I assumed that we had been caught by the coach. But luckily, it was the Student-teacher coach (our school had a _lot _of student-teacher programs).

"No PDA. Break it up before Coach sees you two," he warned, then returned to his post to watch us with a vigilant eye.

"Maybe we should wait until we're alone," I giggled, biting my bottom lip.

Carlos chuckled along as he took my hand.

"Speaking of being alone… Do you want to go out after school?"

Now, that was a problem. Even though I was slowly learning to trust Carlos, I trusted myself _not_ to end up alone with him.

"Uhh…" I contemplated with a hesitant shrug. "I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

"I was hoping that we could go to that pizza place—John's… It's not too far from here and we can go right after."

It was funny how a single pleading gaze could convince people to comply with the most difficult requests. His pleading gaze happened to be the most adorable I'd ever seen.

"I… guess I can go. I'll just have to call my mom and tell her," I said.

"Okay, cool. Let's meet as soon as the bell rings and we'll go… Sounds like a plan?"

Carlos had ended his statement just as Coach yelled for us to change in the locker rooms.

"I'll see you later, all right?"

"Okay."

Behind our teacher's back, he quickly leaned in to kiss me before jogging off and disappearing into the separate stairway.

There was no need for me to change because I already wore sweats to school. Also, I wanted to avoid Maya and her potentially murderous friends. That day was one of the best of my life so far, and I told myself that it was only going to get better. Getting through an entire day of school felt good for once; without having to endure my usual punishment.

My day ended on a great note after gym class. But before I met him after school, I had called my mother to let her know that I had been asked to stay after to "help" a teacher grade papers. I absolutely did not want her to know that I was starting to date Carlos. Because Heaven knows that only Mami would have his neck if she found out about my new-found crush.

Both she and I _never_ would have guessed that it would be Carlos…

**I take it some of you are yelling "DON'T DO IT!" to your computer monitors Lol, but don't be fooled. This just may take an explosive turn for the worst. You know how I love drama ;)... Anyway I hoped you enjoyed and please review!**

**~PasiondeZV~**


	6. The First

**I hope the last chapter kept you on the edge of your seats because you will have to put together a lot of clues to figure out what'll happen next. You're in for a major shock in this one! Enjoy and REVIEW! :D**

**Chapter 6: The First**

**Raquél **

As the weekend approached, Carlos and I had made yet another plan to go to the movies. Every single night that week we had gone out; whether it was a date to a restaurant, the coffee shop, or to the park. Initially, those who went to my school were left baffled at our unlikely pairing, but as one week turned into two weeks, and two into three, he and I had grown a lot closer. From then on, I was starting to have a taste of what it was like to be popular.

Kids began to tell me what a cute couple they thought we were, how happy they were for us, how they "knew" that we were meant to be together; even I was starting to believe it! It seemed as though the entire school—plus cousin Nayna—knew about me and Carlos… except for my mother. She knew that Carlos used to torment me along with Maya, and if I were to tell her that we were suddenly a couple, she would assume that something was wrong. But I didn't think so.

_Don't you think that if it was a joke he would have gotten me by now?_ I kept telling myself.

I was pretty sure that it wasn't, because both Carlos and I now had to put up with crude remarks from his _former_ friends. Even though I was extremely sensitive to the sneers, he was there to build up my confidence; he made me feel good about myself.

Nearly three weeks later, and my heart still raced a mile a minute whenever he called me "Angel." While telling me this, he tilted my head back and treated me with a kiss. After receiving my first kiss, the unmistakable urge to kiss him every single moment we were together had grown agonizing. My knees always threatened to buckle once he locked his arms around my waist. Endearingly, I responded by clutching his T-shirt between my fingers and pulling him closer.

I_ had_ secretly expected Carlos to devour my lips with an overwhelming French kiss—but our kisses were short, sweet and innocent. People still stopped to watch our PDA as we paused in the halls to exchange pecks.

Once we had arrived at the movies that night, we spent the duration of the film stealing gentle kisses and cuddling. Personally, I was glad that it was not another basketball game date. In truth I wasn't a big fan of Basketball… but if there was one testosterone-fueled sport that I liked, it was Football. I didn't tell Carlos, of course—but it would have been perfect it he was a football player. Too bad all of his football friends hated him now, because of me…

A bothered moviegoer craned his neck as if he were an owl, and shushed loudly, emphasizing his demand to enjoy the movie by bringing a finger to his lips. I held back a giggle as Carlos muttered a sarcastic retort in Spanish to the man.

We continued our silly, innocent game once he looped his arms around my waist, and pulled me onto his lap. I melted into the protective warmth of his embrace, alleviating my chills; and rest my head in the crook of his neck, wondering if our relationship was going to last.

Carlos seemed pretty sincere about wanting to make amends, and he'd wanted to get to know me in ways only a boyfriend would… Whatever that meant.

But if this was the way things were going to be between us from now on, I wouldn't mind having Carlos as a serious boyfriend.

**~RMCR~**

**Two Days Later…**

Ahh, Friday… my favorite day of the school week. It was a shame that I had to sacrifice my time of rejoice to endure a torturous game of dodge ball.

It was clear that there was an evident target: Me.

I enjoyed the moment of peace I had left before class with Carlos. With two more classes to go before the bell rung, I had spent half the lunch period helping him study for our Italian test. The class had to give an oral exam on how to give directions on the language.

"Uhh…"

"Come on; I know you can say it," I encouraged him from across the table.

He hesitated, glancing up as if searching for the answer in midair. I thought he looked cute when he was nervous.

"Vada dritto e…"

"Don't pause; you're correct. Finish the sentence."

He made an attempt to grab the study guide from my grip, but I folded the paper on my lap, refusing to show him the answers until he finished the sentence.

"Vada dritto e poi giri a… la derecha?" he guessed wildly.

"What?" I breathed incredulously, followed by a giggle. "You just said 'to the right' in _Spanish_."

"I can't tell the difference. Remember some words in Italian are the same in Spanish? What is it, then?"

"It's 'Vada dritto e poi giri a _destra_'," I corrected with a slight accent. "You almost got it though."

He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, clearly upset by his slight mistake.

"Yeah, _almost_. How am I going to get to stay on the team without passing Italian? I mean, look at you: you're way smarter than me."

"Don't worry, Carlos. I'll help you with Italian," I reassured him, before circling the table to comfort him with a hug.

Carlos glanced up at me with a sincere smile after I gave him a kiss for encouragement.

"That's why I'm so glad to have you, Angel. You really know how to make someone feel like they can do anything. Now, I'm more than positive to complete this test," he said.

"That's the spirit! Hey, do you want to head to the gym now so we can avoid the rush?"

"Sure," he said, and rose from his seat to collect my empty lunch tray. This caring act had been ongoing for the past few weeks, despite my refusal. The more I protested, the more he insisted.

Before classes had begun to pour out into the hall with students, Carlos and I quickly gathered our gym bags and strolled hand-in-hand to the gymnasium. The coach, who seemed to be the only one unfazed by our relationship, casually glanced up at us as we entered. Then, he uttered the words I had been dreading to hear: "We're playing dodge ball today. Carlos, you're a team captain."

He would always assign Carlos as team captain for a game, which now provided me with the benefit of _not_ having him pick the most aggressive team members to pelt me with red balls.

Predictably, we shared a kiss before going our separate ways. As I descended towards the girl's locker room, I was not expecting to find anyone else so early into the class… until Maya, Lynn and Rosa emerged from what seemed like nowhere.

Their folded arms acted like a moving blockade, as they came forward without cessation, sending me backing into the wall. The contents of my bag rustled under the combined weight of their feet after I had dropped it in fear. Unfortunately, Carlos was _not_ there to protect me from the firm hand Maya had swiped across my face. I whimpered in pain, shrinking back and sheltering my face from another piercing hit.

"You have got some nerve, bitch. Acting like you have the right to ruin his image just to feel better about yourself… I don't know who you think you are, but just because you're going out with Carlos, don't think that you're suddenly Miss Popular."

"N-no—I-I don't," I stammered.

She towered over me as she came close to my face; so close that I could feel her venomous breath tickling my cheekbones. And her voice surfaced with a menacing tenor.

"I don't know what possessed that idiot to actually start _liking_ you, but whatever he's paying you to be his whore, tell him you're not even worth it. Honestly, he doesn't really like you; no one does, Raquél. So I suggest you stop wasting _his_ time any longer. Got it?"

I forced the burning lump back into my throat with a hard swallow, and nodded fearfully.

"Got it?" Maya repeated with a bark, her sharp tone causing me to flinch.

"Y-yes, Maya."

Her features brightened as a satisfied grin arose on her lips.

"Good… you should really get dressed. Wouldn't want to be late for dodge ball, now would you?"

Rosa bent down to pick up my footprint-dusted gym bag, and thrust it into my chest before following Lynn and Maya upstairs. Just as I had rushed around the corner to find a vacant bathroom stall, another run-in with a classmate stopped me short.

Although the girl was not as threatening, she was one of the many kids who didn't make fun of me, but also avoided speaking to me. I understood that they never intended to be rude, but who would want to acknowledge a human target when they were fully aware that they could easily become a target themselves?

"S-sorry," I apologized, expecting to earn a wordless scoff. But to my relief, and surprise, she offered me a helpful piece of advice.

"You really shouldn't listen to them. If they tell you something that you know isn't true about yourself, then it's not true. Don't let Maya and her friends trick you into believing the shit they say to you."

"Th-thank you," I said, and—not knowing what else to say—turned around to open the stall.

"Raquél?" the girl called from behind me.

It was actually refreshing to hear someone call me by my real name rather than using the standard "slut"… It was also strange. I would have to get used to it.

"Huh?"

"I think you can do better than Carlos… Trust me, there are nicer boys in this school; just not that many," she said while restraining her blonde tresses in a hairband.

How was I to respond to that? I trusted that there must have been a few genuine boys that went to my school. It's just that Carlos seemed to be the best at showing it.

The girl must have realized that I was too stunned to talk, so she placed her bag in an empty locker and headed upstairs. Once I had gotten dressed, I joined the growing throng of girls on the journey to the gymnasium, where I found Carlos waiting for me at the top of the stairway.

My features perked up after a long moment of respite, and I giggled as he caught me by surprise—wrapping his arms around me and spinning me around. The masculine scent of his cologne swirled around my senses, rendering my knees weak as he kissed me.

"There's my beautiful girl. What took so long? I thought you'd be out by now…"

"I…" I began, but fell silent as he stopped and placed both hands on my shoulders. He observed my face, seemingly concerned.

"Did Maya do something to you?" he questioned softly, brushing a strand of hair from my eyes. How did he know?

"She… um, hit me—b-but it was just a slap."

"She hit you? Let me over there; I'm going to kill all of them!" he fumed, and then made an attempt to charge towards her group of girlfriends… and hulking jocks!

I quickly pulled him back, stumbling forward as he continued. "No, no, don't go over there! Carlos, I don't want to make them any angrier. Please… I'm okay."

Carlos blew out a frustrated sigh, and reluctantly turned back.

"Are you sure, Raquél? Did she leave a mark?" he asked, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.

"N-no; I'm fine. I'm fine, Carlos," I insisted. "Just ask the teacher to start the game."

He leaned down and wrapped me in a tight embrace, then pressed a kiss to my lips.

"All right," he said, and called to the teacher. "Hey, Coach! Let's get this game started!"

I was hopeful that with Carlos as my team leader, there was nothing for me to worry about as long as I remained at the back of the group. That was until I noticed Maya and her clique following me from the opposite side of the gym, with lethal gleams in each pair of cold eyes.

Now, my only hope was to make it out of the class intact.

**~RMCR~**

My last period of the day ended with my Italian teacher asking me to help her rearrange the desks out of "test arrangement." Carlos also stayed, helping me push the desks that were too heavy for me to guide into a corner.

Once we had finished the task, we escaped before Mrs. Valastro decided to keep us occupied longer with another chore.

As we strolled through the void corridor, it felt as if butterflies had gathered on the right side of my stomach, when Carlos snaked an arms around my waist. As horrible as it was to think that my baby brother and sister being sick was a total miracle, I knew that I would get to spend more time with him.

This was perfect. I didn't have to take my siblings home, and Carlos didn't have basketball practice.

"I don't have to go home for a while. My mom thinks I'm at the library…" I reminded him quietly. "What do you want to do?"

I glanced up at my first boyfriend, expecting an immediate reply. He looked ahead as we continued to walk; and his brow furrowed in contemplation.

After a moment of silence, he said, almost in a whisper, "Come on… I know where we can go."

The school building's exit crept closer with each step, and I was sure that Carlos was going to take me on another coffee date. That was, until, I nearly collided with the edge of a wall as he suddenly turned left, towards the gymnasium.

Maybe he _did_ have basketball practice after all. I had asked him just to make sure.

"I thought you said you didn't have practice. Is the coach there?"

Something told me that, in fact, no one was there once we approached the dark, vacant gym. Quite skeptical and nervous, I tugged him back.

"Carlos… why did you bring me here?"

He didn't respond, but spun around and slowly clasped his palm around the nape of my neck, pulling me into a deep kiss. His tongue gently forced its way into my mouth, which frightened me slightly. I broke the kiss and pulled away, only to be trapped in his embrace.

"Carlos, please stop. You're scaring me. What are you doing?" I asked, whispering to hide the panicked tremble in my voice.

"No, don't be scared, Angel. I just want to be alone with you… You're the first serious girlfriend I've ever had and I just want this to be special."

"_This?"_ my head replied skeptically, as Carlos tucked a curl behind my ear. I had a bad feeling where "this" was going when I found him unzipping the top half of his hoodie.

"Carlos… I-I can't," I protested softly, trying, at my best, to pull out of his firm, yet gentle grip.

"Raquél, please. We're alone; no one comes in the gym at this hour. And I… want to show you how much I care about you; that's all."

I flinched as his grip around my wrists seemed to constrict tighter, and I thought he would end up breaking them in his strong hands.

"Carlos… no," I repeated, almost tearfully, fearing that if I were not to comply, I would end up getting hurt. "It's far too early, and I'm just not ready."

Since I had been half-expecting Carlos to force me out of my clothes, I was surprised when he sighed dejectedly.

"So much for losing my virginity to the girl of my dreams…" he said, finally letting go of me.

I'd sought to run away the very moment I had been released, but his last reply stopped me dead in my tracks. Carlos, of all the top-ranking superiors in the school, was a virgin?

"_What?" _

"Y-yeah—it's kind of embarrassing, but… I am a virgin. I've never had sex before," he confessed, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

I was much too rendered speechless to answer, so he continued to explain.

"I know; it's weird that I used to claim to my friends that I had sex, but whenever I was with a girl I always told her that I wasn't ready. But you're not like those girls who were just after one thing. You're intelligent, beautiful, genuine…_ real._ You're perfect. I'm ready, and I can't think of another girl who I'd rather share this moment with," he said, and brought my palms to his face before planting a kiss onto each knuckle.

As deeply as the heartfelt speech touched me, I was torn between whether to listen to what my heart was saying, and what my head was saying. While my thoughts warned, "Don't do it; you'll end up regretting this later," my heart swooned, "He truly cares about me! I've always wanted my first time to be with someone _I_ care about."

My palm tightened around his as he led me to the far corner on the gymnasium, where a column of bleachers stood. Only the light seeping in from the cracks in the doors was enough for him to find scarlet burning in my face. Hopefully, the darkness was enough to provide partial concealment to my soon-to-be bare body.

There was a large gap separating the back of the bleachers from the white-stained brick walls—and it was big enough for even Carlos to squeeze through. But instead of squeezing, he suddenly reached down and picked me up bridal-style, then carried me. I giggled aloud, sending the echo bouncing off the walls of the gym.

"Are you nervous?" he asked me and he placed me back on the floor, appearing nervous himself.

I nodded wordlessly, letting my hands fidget awkwardly.

"A little."

"Me too," he chuckled with a shy shrug of his shoulders.

"Ho-how do you think we should undress?"

His face grew as scarlet as mine once he shrugged again.

"Maybe… maybe I can step out again and come in when we're both ready," he suggested.

"Okay."

Once Carlos had begun to disappear out of sight, I breathed out a trembling sigh, wondering if I actually _would_ regret my decision to let him take my virginity. Everything was all starting to feel more real than ever. Though Carlos and I had only been going out for two weeks, I couldn't help but feel that our relationship would somehow blossom after this intimate encounter. Against my better judgment, I'd wanted to listen to my head instead of my heart; but my heart beat with such intensity, it just_ had_ to be right.

I didn't have to tell anyone; we could easily keep it a secret with none being the wiser. Besides, what if this was going to be my only opportunity to experience sex for the first time? If anything, if I passed this up, I would _never_ have sex and probably end up dying a virgin. Walk a mile in my shoes and you would understand how scary the possibility was for me.

Without hesitation, I quickly discarded my sweatshirt, tank top, jeans and flats; until I was left in my underwear. I had begun to remove them, when Carlos's voice nearly sent me digging my nails into the ceiling.

"Raquél, are you ready?"

"Almost," I called, while removing the last two articles of my clothing.

Goosebumps sprouted along my exposed body, as I shivered in the back of the chilly gym. The excitement of being naked in a public place—a place besides my bedroom and bathroom; the strange thrill of losing my innocence to my former tormentor; the fear of getting caught—it scared me yet exhilarated me all at the same time.

"I-I'm ready Carlos," I forced a meek reply, before my words ended up catching in my throat.

Self-consciously, I folded my arms across my breasts, shielding them as I heard Carlos approaching. I expected him to emerge from the shadows full-frontal, but I breathed a quiet sigh of relief when I found that the bottom half of his torso was covered by a pair of boxers. On the other hand, I felt like shrinking on the spot as he observed me.

"Oh, my God," was his only (stunned) reply.

I moaned in embarrassment, turning my back to him. He rushed up to me and grabbed my shoulders, lifting my head encouragingly.

"No, it's okay—don't feel embarrassed; no need to hide… You're beautiful."

"Really?" I asked, yearning to hear him say it a second time.

"_Very_ beautiful. Take your hair down, Angel."

Carlos spun me around to untangle the band from my curls, and then completed the gesture by sweeping my hair in front of my shoulders. Before I could turn back to face him, he planted a chain of kisses along the crook of my neck, causing my breath to hitch in my throat.

I craned my neck so that he could find his way to my ear, which forced the most weird and wonderful sound from my lips… a loud moan. The sound animated the air, echoing as every other sound we'd made before had done so.

The butterflies began their wild assault, beating their wings against the walls of my stomach once his palm reached around to caress my abdomen. The foreign sensation sent tremors up and down my spine, and my back instinctively curved into a pleasured arch whenever his lips returned to the shell of my ear. The following moan triggered a strange rush of ambiences as his hands wandered upwards to cup my breasts.

Until then, I had never would have imagined how an intimate touch could turn me into a whole new person. Although I had never intended to make a sound, I could no longer contain the throaty response. I bit my bottom lip in attempt to suppress another impulsive moan; and when that method proved futile, I locked lips with Carlos, letting my tongue tentatively scope his deepest reaches.

To emphasize his desperate hunger for me, he forced my pelvis against his groin. The time had come to push things a little further once I began to feel his arousal prodding my lower abdomen. But before anything could progress, I wanted to make sure that "further" would not land me in the same predicament my mother was in when she was 14.

"Wait—Carlos," I panted after breaking the prolonged kiss.

"What's wrong?"

His forehead wrinkled with worry, giving away elusive hints of dejection. He nervously licked his bruised lips.

"Do you have… protection?"

"What? You mean a condom?" he decoded my sugarcoated question.

"Yeah; I don't want to do this without one."

"Don't worry, Raquél. I brought one just in case," he said, and gave me a peck before going through his discarded jeans, which lay in the corner.

Once he'd retrieved the little packet, he wrapped his bulky arms around me once again, and we continued our steamy make out session. While his calloused palms began to massage my bottom in slow, unrelenting circles, my heart thudded into my ears; my breaths grew shorter and quicker—as if trying to salvage my last few breaths; and I realized that this was really going to happen. The condom was slipped on once the last piece of clothing was stripped of my boyfriend's body, finally so that my naïve gaze could warily observe.

At long last, it was time to let my tormentor strip me of my much kept innocence—the innocence I'd meant to keep for a man of a different character.

**~RMCR~**

Darkness began to fall even in the already-unlit gym, as Carlos and I remained unclothed behind the protection of the wooden bleachers. Our bodies lay tangled on the makeshift placemat we had fabricated out of our own clothing.

My body continued to tremble even as we had reached the very explosive end of our climaxes 10 minutes before; and I silently pressed my lips to his heaving, sweat-drenched chest.

It seemed like the few remaining butterflies in the pit of my stomach had not completely died down during the session, and they constantly reminded me of their presence whenever he let his thumb delve into the pair of dimples on my lower back.

My first time was… amazing. I couldn't possibly formulate an expression that would describe what it was like to have Carlos make love to me. He kissed me, caressed me; touched me in ways that I would never forget. All the while, I had been expecting my features to contort with pain upon the first steady ingress; I was surprised to feel no pain as he began his tentative thrusts. This had been ongoing for what seemed like a long time—with each pleasurable stroke, inciting a guttural cry from my lips.

I had experienced a wonderful series of reactions at the instigation of my approaching orgasm. My body began to convulse and tighten as a slight twinge erupted just below my stomach; I placed my hand there to ease the sensation but it only seemed to intensify further. My heart seemed to pound at a frantic pace, almost as if trying to match Carlos's swift pace, while my head spun with a combination of ecstasy and illusion. I closed my eyes, preparing to belt out a deafening scream at my peak, but when I opened my mouth all that surfaced was a high-pitched whimper. Upon the culmination, my limbs fell wilted below him as I rode out the temperate waves of my first orgasm.

Carlos leaned in slightly to plant a kiss against my temple, and gave me a warm smile as I glanced up at him.

"Who knew the first time would be so…" he paused, letting his gaze scan my naked body and chuckled, "…heavenly?"

"Oh, Carlos," I giggled bashfully, attempting to shield my flushed face.

"No; really. I never would've imagined us being together like this… _especially_ like this. It feels new and weird, but, I feel so lucky to have you."

"What do you mean?"

He tilted his head backwards, directing his gaze to the ceiling; as if he would find his answer there.

"When I first asked you out I was expecting you to reject me on the spot, but you gave me the chance to redeem myself by letting me show you that I really care," he said, before indulging me with another kiss; this time on my neck.

Shuddering, I let out a short, contented sigh while Carlos absently played with a curl of my hair. Then, out of nowhere, he chuckled and tucked the curl behind my ear.

"What?" I asked, propping myself up on my elbows.

"I bet you get mistaken for Brazilian," he conjectured aimlessly.

"Oh, my gosh; all the time! Look, I'm half _Boricua_ and I know plenty of other Puerto Ricans who have dark skin like me, even though they're 100% Latino."

"See? That's another thing we have in common… I'm full Latino but for some reason, people assume I'm Brazilian. Personally, I'd think that you were _Dominicana_," he said.

"Where are you from?"

"Honduras."

"Really? So, if I spoke to you how Boricuas speak—like, really fast—would you understand me?" I asked, hoping that he would catch onto my challenge.

"I heard that Puerto Ricans do speak really fast Spanish… say three random sentences right now."

"Hmm," I pondered, while attempting to devise tongue-twisting phrases in my first language.

I spoke the three sentences with ease, but Carlos was rendered astonished by my effortlessness.

"Huh? I barely understood a word you said... How'd you learn to speak that fast?"

"My mom, I guess. That's just the way we speak," I giggled, shrugging casually.

"I've never heard you speak Spanish before. I like your accent; it's… sexy."

His sudden husky tone caused my heart to skip a beat. As flattering as the compliment was, an unmistakable sense of danger lurked over me. The feeling soon became dreadful once Carlos caught my lips in a hungry kiss, lustfully dipping his tongue into my mouth.

"Hmm, you're more than sexy. I'm in the mood for more of my Angel," he mumbled against my lips.

Although the first session had ended just a few moments before, it seemed as though he immediately wanted to explore my body a second time; the way he had been kissing me. They were not the sweet, gentle kissed he had treated me earlier that afternoon. This treatment was more compulsory, ravenous… lustful. Maybe too lustful for my comfort. I tried not to tremble with fear when he kissed a path to the top of my breasts.

"Car-Carlos?" I stammered, once he had me pinned, flat on my back.

He hovered over my frame and kissed me on the forehead.

"What's wrong, Raquél?" he asked, seemingly—but not certainly, concerned.

I stole a glance at the slight crack in the bleachers, and gasped once I realized that the strip of light had completely faded.

"I have to go home. It's getting late and my mom's going to get suspicious," was my well thought-up excuse.

"Just one more time, baby, I promise… this won't take long at all."

"B-but I'll miss the bus and I'll have to wait another 20 minutes in the cold."

"I can give you a ride home. Now, come on, Raquél; will you stop complaining?" he said in a voice that seemed to raise a few evident octaves.

I did not want to get Carlos angry with me, but something told me that it was best not to have sex with him again. His chest remained pressed against mine, even as I tried to push him away. Now, I feared that the next session would end up as a rape. I'd had enough when he made an attempt to pin my arms down.

"Carlos!" I protested louder than what I had intended.

"What?"

"I need to leave… now," I said quietly, only because I had been frightened by his sharp tone. Finally, Carlos let out a sigh and reluctantly got to his feet, then helping me also. He noticed me folding my arms around my body self-consciously, and wrapped me in a warm hug.

"Look, I'm sorry, Angel. I just got caught up in the moment… You can go home."

"N-no, that's okay. And I _would_ like a ride home, but I don't want to in case my mom is looking for me in the lobby," I said.

While we both began to slip back on our clothing, he nodded agreeably.

"I understand; trust me. I don't want to end up un-wedging a shoe from my butt if your mother found out what we did."

"Definitely not," I giggled.

After stepping back out into the dark gymnasium and into the corridor, Carlos gently took my hands, and leaned in to kiss me. He didn't notice as I backed away slightly, fearing another abrasive kiss. But I was relieved to find that the kiss ended up being a sweet peck.

"Well, I really gotta go to the library to finish my homework, so I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I replied, as he helped my book bag onto my shoulder. I leaned up onto my toes to give him a chaste kiss myself.

Carlos and I dispersed, heading our separate ways. As I strolled to the bus stop, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach; but it must have been something I had eaten during lunch that day. Or maybe it must have been my fear of taking public transportation at nighttime.

"Six already," I groaned to myself, while observing the lit screen of my cell phone.

There had been three missed calls waiting for me from my mother. Now, I had to explain to her why I decided to stay in the "library" for nearly _four_ hours. Even as time was not on my side, the city bus crept around the corner not long after I had sat on the bench near the bus stop.

A burst of warmth drew me closer to the curb as the doors hissed open to welcome my presence. The female conductor casually looked me over once the deposit box accepted my pass. I began my cautious shuffle through the near-empty coach, when a familiar voice caught my attention. I glanced up to fine Aurora **(picture in profile)** sitting at the back corner of the bus, eagerly waving me over.

"Hey, Raquél! What brings you here so late?" she asked me, as I hurried to take a seat beside her.

I was glad to have acquired a friendship with Aurora in a matter of a few days. We had so much in common. We liked the same music, we agreed on almost anything, and I felt that I could put my trust in her better than anyone else. Even if she attended another school, I was okay with it, as long as I _had_ at least one friend.

"Oh, you know… the library. I had a ton of homework to do."

_Yeah right_, my opposing subconsciousness scoffed.

She paused to press the play button on her MP3 player, and offered me her left ear bud so that I could listen along. While we enjoyed the comforting songs of our favorite artist, Aurora looked through the widow at the passing school.

"I wish I went to your school… that way I can be with you guys."

"'You guys?'" I questioned.

"Yeah; I have a boyfriend that goes there. He's, like, a junior."

"Oh, really? What's his name?"

"Mmm…" she hummed, wavering slightly. "I don't want to tell you because you're gonna be like 'eww, that guy?' if I tell you who it is."

Actually, I really didn't want to know.

"You're right; I'd rather not… All the guys in my school are ugly mutts, but I'll make my guess using the best looking group. You probably have more taste in boys than I'd ever know," I giggled.

Aurora and I fell back in our seats in a fit of laughs, holding onto each other as if trying to prevent sliding off the seat.

"I'm sure you have way more taste than me."

"No way," I denied. "Not in boys."

"Maybe not in boys, but I can tell that you're a natural-born Fashionista. I can come over to your house on the weekend and ransack your closet… we can trade clothes," she said, bumping her shoulder against mine for emphasis.

"Sure, you can come over on Friday. I'll give you my address in the morning and we can take the train together."

Aurora and I continued to listen to music, while discussing girly topics like hair, clothes, and gossip. I was not one to spread gossip, but it drew me in like everyone else.

Hopefully, if Carlos and I kept our relationship going, I would not end up being the victim of bad gossip, as I used to be. I could not wait to see him again.

But first, I had to find out the reason for my sudden upset stomach. I feared that I would end up missing school the very next day. With Carlos waiting for me, I could not bear to be away from him for a moment longer.

**Didn't I tell you that it was going to be shocking? Now, don't tell me if you've already figured out what is to come in the next chapter. All I'm going to say is that it will leave you **_**very **_**upset. Review please! :)**


	7. At The End Of My Rope

**A little late on this update but I had **_**so**_** much to incorporate this time. I think this chapter will reveal to you how serious Raquél is about wanting to be free of the life she is living, and let's just say that the changes will take off from here. Also, you'll find out a little more about her admirer by the way he keeps showing up in**_** her**_** perspective. Enjoy and review! :D**

**Chapter 7: At the End of My Rope**

_**Unknown POV**_

How could I have let this happen?

I should have seen this coming… It was bound to happen sooner or later.

How dare he take her away from me!

True, she was never mine to begin with, but it sure felt like she'd been taken away. And by that bastard, Carlos!

As if I needed another reason to hate him, he had officially crossed the line. That despicable afternoon, when I spotted him and my _Ángelita_ walking through the halls and holding hands, my heart sunk even lower than he was. Raquél seemed to grow much closer to him as they began to date; and in a matter of three weeks they had become an instant couple. Too instant, if you asked me…

There was nothing I could do but to reluctantly sit back and watch in envy. It was absolute torture. Whenever they kissed, that was the one thing I just _had_ to look away from. I could not bear to watch Carlos steal the kisses that were meant for me.

Among my horde of seething friends—who angrily knocked them down a significant amount of pegs with their demeaning gossip, I was the only person who felt angry for a different reason. While Maya concluded that Carlos dating Raquél would bring "shame" upon the Superiors, I concluded that he didn't deserve such an amazing girl. She was better off being single if it meant wasting her breath on that jerk. But I was confident that I would change that.

It was a terrible thing to wish, but I wanted them to break up for the sake of her protection. Seeing her hurt always troubled me. Hopefully, she would catch on to the subtle hints of danger and manipulation in his eyes; the way his seemingly charming smile could turn just about anyone into a believer. Not only could he smooth talk his way out of thing, but also_ into_ things. Only God knows how he smooth-talked his way into getting Raquél to go out with him.

It was not her fault… I didn't blame her for wanting to be with someone if he suddenly told her that he had a supposed crush on her. But it was all a big lie, which angered me more than ever, because I knew he would end up taking advantage of her. Carlos often joked to us that he would rape her, but something told me that he'd find a way to persuade her into having sex with him.

I could _never_ imagine Raquél losing her virginity to such a worthless guy; and I had sought to stop it before it happened. Unfortunately, once the time came to jump, I was too late.

Season training had run a little later that evening, so the team and I were not granted permission to leave until we had finished our workout. Knowing that Carlos had been planning to take her there, I rushed back into the school once practice was over. I ran as fast as my sore legs would allow, desperate to stop Raquél from making the biggest mistake of her life. The closest way into the gym was through the back doors, but once I burst through them, I found them standing on the opposite side of the front entrance. Unsure whether it was done or not, I ducked behind a piece of equipment to watch.

It was _far _too late. My head hung in disappointment as I'd come to realize that they had indeed had sex. Insult was then added to my injury when I spotted Raquél lean up on her toes to give Carlos a departing kiss. My heart stung as if it had been reduced to a freshly inflicted wound; and _he_ was the assailant responsible for driving the dagger into my chest.

He had killed me on the inside.

For the first time, I was angry with Raquél, and it hurt to feel that way. I could not help but think that she knew better than to give up something as precious as her innocence to someone she'd been dating for three weeks. Especially if that someone was a bully. As selfish as I might have been, I had wished to take her virginity for myself.

I admitted defeat and left the school, stuffing my hands into my pockets in dejection as I approached the parking lot. There was going to be no more hope left for me if Raquél continued to see Carlos. As my car roared to life it brought a harsh realization to light; one that I did not recall until that evening.

Something very bad was going to happen to _Ángelita_… unless I could put an end to it before it was too late. If I couldn't stop her from having sex with Carlos, I could surely stop them from hurting her.

**Raquél**

The very moment I had arrived home, I knew that I'd made a big mistake. My stomach continued to remind me of my blunder, as it seemed to ache more and more as the night progressed. My mother did not appear too convinced when I told her that I'd gotten "caught up" in my reading, but she did not question me further. Once I had been given the consent to escape to the protection of my bedroom, my diary was the first item I went grappling for.

Only sudden regrets could remind a human just how full of flaws they were. I was made of 100 percent flaws.

_Dear Diary... _

_I AM SO STUPID! How could I have convinced myself to think that it was okay to have sex with Carlos? If this is how I'll feel after this experience I should break up with him. _

_The problem is I don't think I can. _

_His compassion makes me feel like I can trust him. He treats me like a princess—he sure did while making love to me. I can see that I'm the most perfect girl in his eyes. He's not ashamed to hold my hand or kiss me in the middle of the crowded cafeteria. He stands up for me when I can't get up; he tells me I'm beautiful._

_But now, it's starting to become too good to be true. _

The more I wrote frantically, the more I had come to accept that the bad feeling in my stomach was not the result of the terrible school lunch, but because I now had to live with this unending regret. Carlos had brought such a tender disposition onto me, which made me think that we were doing nothing wrong by making love.

I knew that he was never a virgin in the first place. Even with the automatic instincts of human nature could a virgin be_ that_ experienced in sex. Aside the new sensations that lingered, I began to feel dirty and used.

I decided to take a quick shower before dinner, and retreated to my room for the rest of the night, concocting ways to trick my mother into making her think I was sick. If my attempt proved successful or futile; either way, I had to avoid Carlos.

**~RMCR~**

"Are you sure you're too sick to go to school?" Mami questioned that morning, scrunching her nose with skepticism.

I had reduced my responses to short, sickly moans. Unambiguously determined, I'd gone to such great lengths just to stay home from school. Some I knew I could use from then on, and some that I would never try again. Already checked off the list was: "turn-up-the-heat-overnight-to-sweat-and-raise-body-temperature," "overeat-at-breakfast-until-I-throw-up (never again)," "hold-the-thermometer-under-hot-water-but-not-too-hot-because-I-should-be-dead-at-106," and "cry… hysterically."

After my last stint of melodramatic tears, my mother—despite her concerns of me missing too much school—decided to let me stay home so that I would not bother her any longer. _Any_ longer and she would have ended up ripping her hair out of her scalp.

She literally pleaded with me: "Okay, _mija_, you don't have to go! But would you please, _please_ stop annoying me."

On her way out of my room, a pleased grin spread across my features, and I followed with a short victory dance on my bed.

I was successful indeed, but I wasn't going to get away that easily. After the lengthy weekend, and a frantic trip to the emergency room, my siblings André and A'sharía were still sick. Mami nearly suffered a panic attack as the doctor explained to her that they'd come down with a mild flu. It was not very severe, hence the word "mild." The babies had to wear lightweight flu masks, which were adorned with cute Disney characters. Although it broke my mother's heart to see them in their existent condition, she knew that it was best if she wanted them to avoid getting any sicker.

Before heading through the door with my sisters, she leaned down and gave each toddler a kiss on their mask-shielded mouths.

"Your sister is going to watch you today, so be good for Mami. I love you," she said in Spanish, and turned to me to kiss me.

"I get off from work early today, so when I come back we're going to the hospital, okay? I love you, Chiquita."

"Love you too, Mami," I said, as she disappeared into the foyer with my sisters.

My mother sent me one last dubious glance before shutting the front door behind her. Alone at last (sort of) I decided to occupy myself by not occupying myself; which left me only one choice: sleep.

My siblings had quickly fallen asleep after the house feel quiet, and I took advantage of their nap time to enjoy a nap of my own. I thought that I could sleep off the guilt rather than drown myself in it...

**~RMCR~**

_So much for taking a nap. I was still sitting on the couch at home, watching my sick brother and sister. …Or was I? The couch I had been seated somehow ended up in the middle of the school gymnasium. Oh, so I was dreaming. But that bad feeling in my stomach had returned. Something bad was about to happen. _

_I blinked my eyes repeatedly, hoping to land in another illusory dimension of my dreams. The moment I forced my eyelids open, my gaze was then fixated on the ceiling rafters. Now I was lying on my back. _

_Once the gymnasium doors burst open, I made an attempt to escape, but to no avail. My arms and legs had been bound with chains on either side of the cushions, which had suddenly transformed into a concrete bed. I threw my head back to see who was going to enter, but in my upside-down perspective I found no one. The doors just remained open, letting in a streak of light._

_In the middle of my struggle, I tried to scream, only to find that my pleads for help had become muted with a strip of duct tape. The glowing egresses of my freedom only stood a few yards away, and I thought I could make a getaway if I focused on the exit. _

'_Stay Raquél; it's just a dream… You'll get out of this,' my thoughts reassured me, but even my thoughts seemed to sound doubtful. _

_A towering shadow abruptly obstructed my view, its threatening masculine form stretching across the floors. The darkened face never revealed the menace's identity, even as he began to stalk towards me with clenched fists. My heart began its wild frenzy, racing faster with each plodding footstep; as if it was bidding to rupture my chest. The nape of my neck dampened with frightened tears as they trickled down the side of my face. _

_The man knelt beside me, and suppressed my muffled sobs when he wound his palm around my neck. He did not choke me, but wiped the tears from my eyes and kissed my lips. I was surprised, and relieved to hear a familiar voice. _

"_Raquél, it's me… Carlos. Don't cry, Angel. I'm only doing this because I care about you." _

_As I blinked my eyes open, the silhouette disappeared, and I came face to face with Carlos. _

"_Oh, Carlos. W-what am I doing here? What's going on?" I asked, not realizing that the tape had disappeared from my lips._

"_I don't know, but we're gotta get out of here. They're coming." _

"_Who's coming?" _

_He didn't respond, but brought a switchblade from his pocket and hastily worked to cut through the locked chain cuffs on my wrists. In all likelihood, the tactic did not work, but Carlos persisted until a deep cut had formed in the tough steel. _

_The streak of light had begun to fade as he dropped the blade and pried open the cuff using his bare hands, without difficulty. _

"Who _is coming?" I repeated, once the faint drone of voices aroused my fears. _

"_My friends… you don't want to be here when they find you." _

_While Carlos took his time cutting through the second cuff, the thunderous footfalls of what sounded like an army of athletes surged closer to the back doors of the gymnasium. The front doors slammed shut with a crash, reverting us back into darkness; and I turned to Carlos for protection. _

_I wrapped my arms around him, trembling as I whimpered to him, "Carlos… please don't leave me." _

_The warmth of his embrace calmed my frantic heart only for a moment, and I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breath. He did all he could to comfort me: pressing tender kisses to my forehead, and wiping my tears in the dark. But the voice that replied next was _not _my boyfriend. _

"_I won't leave you, Ángelita… I'll never." _

_The disturbingly familiar voice startled me, causing me push the person away with a terrified shriek. In the blink of an eye, Carlos had been replaced by one of my many jock tormentors, but I could not identify the male in the darkness. _

"_Get away from me! Who are you?" I demanded, blindly slapping his hands away as he tried to touch me._

"_I'm not going to hurt you, Raquél."_

_Another repressed cry surged from my lips, as I felt the pair of strong arms wrap around me, thinking that he was trying to hurt me. He didn't, but continued to kiss my forehead as Carlos had done moments before. Even the nickname he'd called me by—Ángelita—told me that I could trust him. This embrace was gentler, and despite his hazed identification, I relaxed against him and braced myself for the looming onslaught._

_My senses grew ahead of me, and I jumped impulsively as the mob bust through the back doors. Another streak of light spread across the basketball court, and I hid my face deeper into my guardian's chest. _

"_I believe you have something that belongs to _us_," the first voice instigated. _

_Carlos? _

_I forced my eyes open and looked up, only to find that Carlos had been leading the horde of jocks all along. They stood behind him, arms crossed, menacing and lustful smirks on their faces; like a barrier slowly closing in on us. I looked into the face of the boy that held me, and gasped when the haze seemed to worsen. The only clue that let me know he was a football player was the bold white numbers across his back; which I could not see. _

_Before I could gather my wits to utter a sound, the cluster pounced, taking down the boy first. While he struggled to fight off half of the group, the rest—including Carlos—towered over me._

"_Carlos, w-what are you doing? I thought you cared about me," I found myself saying. _

"_Of all people to care about, why would I care about you? The only thing I'm interested in is, well… boys, you know what to do."_

"_Raquél!" he screamed._

_Several pair of cold hands pinned my limbs against the concrete as I tried to kick them away, screaming for someone, anyone who would listen to my desperate calls for help. Only the boy heard me, and fought as best he could to get to me. He called my name, louder and louder, each cry growing more pained with every article of clothing that was ripped from my body. _

"_Raquél!"_

_The vicious cold gripped my exposed frame as Carlos straddled me from above; his old personality rendered me to frightened tears. He struck me across the face with a wounding hand, and as he brought his hand back I was shocked to find that it had become stained with my own blood. _

"_Raquél!" the hazed façade repeated, his voice growing louder with the fading world. _

_The amplifying bellows echoed in my mind, and with the last punishing blow, my name was the last thing I could make out, as I slipped out of consciousness. _

"_RAQUÉL!"_

I had awakened myself with my own screams, fearing what was going to happen next. But what I_ heard_ next brought me back to reality. I was not the only one awake.

Upon stirring to my shaken yell, my siblings grew alarmed and burst into tears.

"Oh, babies. _Lo siento_," I apologized, quickly rushing over to tend to them.

Fatigue had not yet disseminated from my system, and each child felt as if they had gained five pounds in a matter of hours. As I hoisted them one-by-one out of their cribs, I began to realize just how long I had been asleep. The family room had concealed itself with a dimmed veil of blue, while the sun continued to descend beneath the cluster of famous New York towers. They were not that special… if you were used to it.

Only after a silent moment of rocking my siblings back and forth, did their cries die down. I alleviated their lingering hiccups with a duo of pacifiers, and then moved on to click on the lights. It was 5:35 in the evening—I had slept for more than twelve hours, and André and A'sharía _must_ have been starving.

The only hint they gave me was "hambre," meaning that they were hungry. This went on, as they spoke through their flu masks, which made them look like a couple of adorable little drones.

The pair clung to my legs once I made a beeline for the kitchen, just like they did to Mami whenever she was home. As luck would have it, just when I'd begun to prepare dinner for my siblings, my mother's arrival sent me back to the living room, aching for sleep.

It came as no surprise, finding my trouble-maker sister Jazmyn being forced onto the timeout mat in the corner. Chaya and Aquilína eagerly greeted me, while my mother warned the three-year-old with an empty threat. Case in point, whenever we did something wrong, she told us that she would smack something off of us if we didn't quit. My siblings never took he seriously because she rarely spanked them.

She turned to me after an exasperated sigh and smiled.

"Hi, Raquél! How was your day?"

My mind scrambled to devise a practical excuse as she approached me, and rewarded me with a kiss. Hopefully she would not find out that I had slept the day away instead of doing what I was supposed to do.

"It was okay… they mostly slept so I didn't have any trouble," I lied.

"Ohh, my baby; you must be so tired," Mami crooned, wrapping her arms around me. "Go relax on the couch in the meantime while I make dinner."

As guilty as I felt about earning unmerited rest for not watching my brother and sister, I was even guiltier about lying to her about my night with Carlos.

What's worse was that I was sure that the condom had been removed before it was over. If I were to end up pregnant for my mistake, _nothing _was going to be worse than my mother learning the outcome of my fabrications.

**~RMCR~**

That feeling again.

The feeling of the same scrutinizing gazes seemed to kick start the mess of disquiet in my stomach. It began that Friday morning; the moment I had arrived to my very first class of the day. It was also the class that troubled me the most since that haunting evening: Gym.

I set my route for the girl's locker room, avoiding Carlos' seemingly confused gaze. He called my name several times, hoping to catch my attention, but I ignored him and hurried down the stairs.

Try as I may, he was virtually impossible to avoid. As I returned to daylight to begin my warm-up jog around the basketball court, his thudding steps approached me from behind, like a predator strategizing an ambush on its prey. He gently tapped my shoulder with the back of his hand, which seemed to scorch the hairs on the surface of my arm.

"Hey, Raquél. I called you like, a million times yesterday. Where were you?"

A wave of nausea swept over my head as we jogged past the evocative spot behind the row of bleachers.

"At home… watching my brother and sister," I replied, focusing my glance ahead. I wanted to slap myself for letting my voice reveal my angst. "But, Carlos, I-I don't think this is going to work."

"Well, if you wanted to tell me that, you could've called or texted. I was worried."

_Funny, you seem to be more "worried" about missing another chance to have sex with me, _I retorted in my thoughts, scorning mentally.

"Worried?" I echoed him, pausing in my steps to catch my breath. "About what… me? Or something else?"

The passing current of students seemed to show disregard for our presence. They'd begun to adapt to the idea of a bully dating his victim. Carlos must have realized that I meant business; the way I placed my hands on my hips, letting out a huff.

"What do you mean by 'something else'?"

"I think you know what I mean!"

"What the hell? You didn't call to tell me what was up, and now _you're_ yelling at me?" he argued, his voice raising considerably.

That was when the current of students paused to watch our escalating argument. They seemed surprised that actually had a voice.

"_**I**__ am not the one yelling!"_

"Hey!" a booming voice called us apart.

Carlos and I stepped back to find the coach approaching us from the other side of the court.

"What is going on here? No one should be doing anything else right now, except for running. Now, get moving!"

"But Coach—"

"I don't care what kind of drama is going on between you two. I said move it!"

We let out collective sighs of frustration before continuing the warm-up. I'd sought to get away from Carlos before another dispute broke out, when Maya and her friends formed their line of attack. For the first time in weeks, her contemptuous frown turned upside down, curling into a satisfied grin. Revulsion overwhelmed me as I sensed what was coming next.

Behind the group, I noticed that the boy who ended up saving me in my dreams seemed to amble away, as if he did not want them to notice him leaving. Carlos was accepted immediately back into the flock as he spanned his arms, stepping back slightly.

"Glad to have you back, Carlos," Mike chuckled derisively, patting him on the back as if to praise him for an achievement.

"Carlos, what's going on?" I asked.

"Shouldn't it be obvious? Just when I thought this couldn't get any better… Not even I could believe how gullible you were to think that I actually _cared_ about you."

"W-what do you mean?"

I attempted to swallow the familiar burning lump in my throat, as my voice cowered with quiet disbelief.

"He never wanted you in the first place! God, for a geeky bitch, you sure are ditzy," Maya sneered, laughing her sardonic laugh.

"It was a bet! No one believed that I could last even a week going out with you. Well, what do you know…? Mike owes me $300 dollars."

"You used me?" I gasped, my vision growing blurred with tears of degradation.

"What _else_ are you good for? I mean, besides being a good lay; you're nothing."

My dignity shrunk more diminutive, stretching its already-beaten existence thinner at their derisive glares and cold, amused chuckles. There was no way I could escape the intimidating human blockade. It proved to be a near-fatal combination, almost sending me buckling to the floor in a heap.

As if some imperceptible force had overwhelmed me, my throat seemed to constrict until I thought I would end up suffocating to death on the gym floors. My only means of support was the wall of stored bleachers; its polished wood scorching the pads of my palms as Carlos's touch did. The throng found humor in my own self-destruction, laughing at the way my chest heaved up and down as I grappled for air; finding hilarity and gratification at my lowest point. Through my salty veil of tears could I make out his towering form looming over me, while Maya stood close behind.

"Let's get one thing straight, bitch: you _were_ not, _are _not, and will _never_ be worth anything," Carlos spat.

"In fact, you're not even worth breathing the same air as the rest of us. You don't deserve anyone. I can't see what guy would even want to _touch_ you unless he was getting some benefit out of it. I sure as hell didn't… you weren't even hot. You obviously don't know how to bang for a slut. Who knows if I've caught some kind of STD from you? Now, how do you expect me to get back in the game if I'll be infecting other girls? Next time you lure me into having sex with you, let me know first."

He might as well have stabbed me right through the heart.

_That's not true! You were the one who dragged me into the gym!_, my head screamed, as I shut my eyes to escape the torment.

But there was no way out. They would cling to me, slowly killing me, until they got what they wanted: watching me break and fall to pieces. I must have been a mirror, though my seven years of bad luck had nearly doubled.

Maya—not quite satisfied by my pained tears—decided to deliver a brutal parting blow to my being, by slapping me across my face.

"And once again, you have to ruin _everything_ for us just by being here. Just do me a favor and go to hell already! I'd rather see you drop dead than watch you humiliate yourself any longer."

For the first time, Maya was going to get her wish. After that last injurious remark, nothing mattered to me anymore, not even myself. Another sob escaped my lips once I realized what I would have to do. I knew that I would have been better off not breathing at all.

Scrambling to my feet, I swung blindly swung my fist, missing Maya and sending it colliding against Carlos's face.

"I hate you! You're a jerk and a liar!" I screamed tearfully, before forcing my way through the jeering crowd of bullies.

Upon noticing my escape, the coach began to yell after me, as I tore a pathway across the court, heading for the doors.

"Richmond! Get back here!" he bellowed; but I was too much of a sobbing mess to comply.

My teacher's hasty strides only drove me further away from the class once my legs took me through the corridors and out of the building. A hazed figure was the last thing I saw as I burst through the doors of the gymnasium.

The bitter cold air did not seem to bother me, because I knew that it was a matter of time before I was going to be cold for a very long time. In my mind, I drew a mental blueprint of how I would plan my expiration. There was plenty of traffic in the streets, zooming by without the slightest care. I could have easily thrown myself in front of an oncoming truck or jump off the side of a bridge to end my anguish. But I had to wait until I was under the solitude of my own home.

I could not leave this world without telling my mother what my life of pain and suffering has led me to commit.

**~RMCR~**

The last thirty-five minutes passed me by as an absolute blur. As I ran, the past memories of my life seemed to fade into thin air. I spent that time running from school, and I did not stop until I was under my roof. Only once I stopped outside my apartment did my harsh reality come crashing down on me. After a moment of forcing my shaking hands to push the keys into the door, I fell onto the floors of the foyer with the momentum. I had never felt so weak. My body had fallen numb without the foregoing protection of a coat, while my throat emitted stark wheezes as I continued to cry.

I hated myself.

Not because Carlos had ripped my heart out and tossed it onto the floor for everyone to stomp at; but because I was just… me. Why couldn't I have been born someone else? Why couldn't I have been taller, less awkward… beautiful? I wished that my mother had not conceived me at such a young age. I wished that I was an only child. I wished that I was more outgoing, outspoken, or popular. I wished that I wasn't the victim to everyone. Just one ounce of dignity would have been enough to keep me satisfied. Why couldn't I have gotten involved and not be scared for once? I hated being so scared. Why didn't anyone think that I had a chance of making it on my own?

Well, after that day, I would no longer have to worry about the hatreds of myself.

The warmth of the carpet I lay across provided a moment of comfort, but I knew I had to get this over with quickly before Doubt led me to think otherwise. I quickly collected myself and got to my feet with an unsteady wobble. I combed the house for the supplies I would need. From the bathroom cabinet to the kitchen cupboards, I gathered a silk wrap, a pair of scissors, a kitchen barstool; a piece of plain white paper, a pen, and—lastly—a bundle of thin nylon rope.

Although I wanted to spare my mother the lasting, and potentially _scarring_ remembrances of finding her daughter hanging in the middle of her closet, it was the only tool I could use if I wanted a quick and hopefully painless self-execution. I threw myself across her bed, and wrapped myself in her duvet; taking in the lingering scent of her and enjoying its warmth. My emotions took the upper hand, overwhelming me as I knew that it was going to be the last time I would get to bask in at least, the traces of her love.

With my fading ounces of strength, I mustered the courage to begin my departing note to my mother. I only wanted to leave letting her know how much she meant to me, and how grateful I felt towards her efforts of raising me to be a confident young woman. My only regret was that she didn't do enough to keep me solaced. No one did.

_Dear Mami,_

_If you're reading this, chances are you've found me dead. I never meant to cause you this heartbreak, but I felt I had to do this so that I would not hurt again. It's better to feel nothing than to feel at all, because all I felt was pain. Only years of unrelenting pain has led me to this. None of my pain had anything to do with you. Life at school has not gotten any better for me; in fact it's gotten worse. Don't think that your efforts to keep me protected have gone to waste. _

_What I've done was not meant to hurt you. You're an amazing mom and I want you to know that you've raised a good girl. I don't think that anyone else but you would have had the courage and strength to raise a child—especially at fourteen. You've taught me everything from learning proper English to taking care of my own siblings. I love them all. And even though Papi did cheat on you with another woman, forgive him. I think you have a chance of starting a new beginning with your new boyfriend, Troy. He seems to really care about you._

_Despite trying to take on a positive outlook whenever you told me to be myself, I always found it hard just to let go and have fun because I was too afraid of what people might have thought about me. Now I wished that I had gained the courage to dance the Merengue with you at every family reunion or barbecue. Who knows what my life would have turned out to be if I did not go through with this attempt? _

_It makes me sad to think that I'd have been the same old boring, lonesome and fearful self. With no friends and no hope of ever finding someone to love me once I'd grow older. I know that if I were still here you would tell me never to think that way, but you will never know how long I've waited for that big change to happen in my life. I think I've waited long enough. I guess you could say that I was at the end of my rope…_

_The tears that have stained this letter were not fallen out of sadness, but out of my undying love for you. I may be dead now, but my love will last until the end of time. Don't worry, Mom. Don't cry out of grief for me; cry out of joy, because I'll be safe with Aunt Mary. You were really the only person that I could trust in this world, and for all that you've done for me, I love you more than life itself. My death was to prove that to you._

_We'll meet again once the time comes, but in the meantime… goodbye Mami. My only regret leaving was not having the chance to feel your embrace around me for the last time. _

_Te quiero para siempre,_

_Raquél María Consuela Richmond_

By the time I had finished writing the note; my handwriting had become smudged with tears. I swiped them away with the back of my hand and held the paper away from my face to examine the letter. Just reading the despondent message made me even sadder, but I could not sit and cry any longer.

After the note had been safely tucked away beneath my mother's pillow, I wasted no time in tying a noose from the nylon rope. Since the closet was so high I used the barstool to reach its metal bar. As I began to fasten the rope around the bar, a chill ran up my spine; which was so powerful, I nearly toppled onto the floor.

"Don't think about it; just get it over with already," my voice shook as I tried to calm myself.

For the second time that day, the memories of my childhood came flooding back, casting a wave of emotion over my head. The memories I thought I had forgotten a long time ago suddenly resurfaced. Each treasured memory and unforgettable occasion I had experienced; the heart break and disappointment that often came soon after, reminded me of the practically average life I'd been living.

I would have liked to have been a part of something bigger than myself. I would have liked to become a famous singer. I would have liked to become queen at my prom… if only I'd have been able to get a date in the first place. The likelihood of marriage and children never made its presence in my thoughts, as I thought I would never find a "soul mate."

As I shielded my vision with the improvised blindfold, those dreaded thoughts of my family discovering my death flooded my thoughts. I pictured my mother coming home, tired as usual, only to find her eldest daughter choked to death by a strip of rope. The blood-curdling scream she would let out before collapsing to the floor in grief. The letter she would find once the police arrived, and she would have finally understood what I'd been going through. My funeral would be on a dark rainy day, resembling the daily despair I felt every single day of my life. My mourning family—all adorned in black attire—would gather in the Catholic Church to pay their final respects, stacking flowers upon flowers on my casket as I lay there lifeless. My parents would finally put aside their differences and come together for me, wondering where they had gone wrong in raising me. As the priest would take his place at the podium to read a eulogy aloud, the sad procession would move to the cemetery, where I would be placed in my final resting place.

But the wretched news, also traveling to the principal of my school, had yet to be ignored by my tormentors, who would go on to torture some other victim like me without the slightest morsel of guilt.

I continued my lonesome procession towards the kitchen barstool, dampening the strip of material with my last bout of shed tears. Before I could even think about embarking into the enigmatic threshold of death, I had to feel my way onto the makeshift scaffold. Once I reached for the noose, the rope seemed to burn upon contact as it brushed against my fingers. The darkness did not daunt me; but only diminished any fears I had of watching the world fade away before my eyes. My last, unsteady breaths grew hasty and ragged as I placed the noose around my neck.

Above my apprehensions of what fate had in store for me, an unspeakable sense of peace overwhelmed me. It was enough to convince me that I had nothing to worry about. A hanging could easily end a life in the blink of an eye.

Drawing in a deep breath, I momentarily pulled the blindfold from my eyes to catch my last glimpse of the world… or at least my mother's bedroom. In the left corner sat her king-sized bed which, on some nights was open for me to share with her whenever I suffered from sleepless nights. Beside the bed was a matching mahogany nightstand, where her digital clock flashed its bold red numbers.

My time of death was going to be somewhere between 12:10 and 12:15 p.m., on December 11th, 2009… Three days before my mother's 29th birthday. Her celebration would have been just another chance for me to sit in the corner and watch my relatives have fun on their own terms: dancing, eating, planning gatherings for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Tears streamed down my cheeks when my gaze fell on the family portrait that my siblings and I had taken with our parents; about a week after my father had been released from jail. We had all agreed to wear white attire for the special occasion, and the photographer led us to an open field to take pictures. My father, still over the moon about meeting his son for the first time, found a large cherry blossom tree for us to take refuge under from the rising spring temperatures. The location was silent, beautiful and tranquil—all the things that usually kept my mood positive whenever I felt sad or alone.

I had never felt so peaceful that day, and my parents had never looked happier. They'd taken several pictures by themselves, kissing and embracing. Then, each of us went on to take our separate portraits. When I decided to do a pose lying on the grass, the photographer complimented me by telling me that I should pursue a career as a model. Naturally, I returned a wary "thank you" knowing that becoming someone as beautiful and successful as Heidi Klum would never be in my future. Lastly were the family photos. Once the last picture had been over with, my sisters gathered handfuls of light pink petals and tossed them into the air. My parents also played along, reaching up to grab their own bundles of flowers to join in the spirited combat.

Although the scheduled photographer had given my mother a specific family package, limiting photos to less than 15, he found the natural essence of our family to be a moment that could not be left out, and snapped just one more picture. That spur-of-the-moment photo turned out to be a favorite of my mother's—so much that she had a copy made for each of us to cherish for the rest of our lives.

The portrait depicted my very playful father, tugging at the hem of my mother's dress as she turned back in the middle of the chase to pelt him with her own floral ammunition. My sister Chaya and I lay on the grass in a sea of petals, giggling away after Jazmyn had delivered with us, a harmless assault. Aquilína sat with her legs crossed so that André could observe the collection of flowers for himself, while A'sharía climbed onto her lap to gather her own cluster of petals. From then on I could only say that that day was one of the rare occasions when I truly felt like a part of my family… where I felt like I belonged.

Only through the imparted teachings of my Catholic beliefs was I compelled to draw an invisible cross on my chest, before I slipped the cover back over my eyes.

"I love you…" I spoke to the inanimate portrait, marveling at the fact that I had mustered enough strength for me to utter those final words.

Gradually, I began to inch my feet toward the edge of the barstool until the tips of my toes hung me in the balance between life and death.

Then, in that split second, once I'd begun to kick the barstool from beneath my weight; the vision of a young girl about my age brought my world to a complete standstill. She was making an attempt to dive headfirst off the side of a bridge, clutching her stomach as her sobs rang above a deafening crack of thunder. Her reflection against the crashing waves exposed to me, a stunning revelation as I looked into her tearful green eyes.

That girl was… _my_ mother! She was just like me.

By the end of that infinite second my very last breath gathered to call her name, only to be replaced by a choking gasp.

"Ma—"

_**SNAP!**_


	8. Opportunity

**Luckily I made sure that this chapter came out as quickly as possible. I wasn't going to leave you all hanging… speaking of that was the wrong choice of words, but anyway in this chapter you'll learn her admirer's (last) name and he will FINALLY do the right thing. I won't fully reveal his identity until chapter 9 and trust me, they will both learn a**_** lot **_**about each other. Enjoy reading and REVIEW! **

**Chapter 8: Opportunity**

**(Recap)**

…_I__n that split second, once I'd begun to kick the barstool from beneath my weight; the vision of a young girl about my age brought my world to a complete standstill. She was making an attempt to dive headfirst off the side of a bridge, clutching her stomach as her sobs rang above a deafening crack of thunder. Her reflection against the crashing waves exposed to me, a stunning revelation as I looked into her tearful green eyes._

_That girl was… _my_ mother! She was just like me._

_By the end of that infinite second my very last breath gathered to call her name, only to be replaced by a choking gasp._

_"Ma—"_

_**SNAP!**_

**Raquél **

The tension was merciless, the pain was excruciating…

Death had not come as quickly as I expected. Gravity gained the upper hand, swiftly dropping me so that I would be left to hang. The fight for air became immediate once the noose tightened around my airway. The walls were now closing in around me, and panic began to set in.

Foreign gasps and wheezes forced their way out of my throat as I managed to slip my fingers between the rope and my neck. My heart raced with such a driving force, I thought it would burst from my chest just to free itself.

The medium separating life and death denied me the option of choosing my own fate._ I_ had sealed my own fate. In the midst of the struggle, the silk scarf fell from my eyes, exposing my fading sight to a tear-veiled view of my mother's bedroom. I attempted to kick my legs in an effort to wriggle free, but that only seemed to speed up the process.

Time elapsed without hesitance, and I watched as the mental countdown to my death skipped from 25 to 16 to 11.

A swell of fresh tears began to stream down my cheeks, as if the pressure against my throat had forced them out. I then had to work to catch my dying breaths, drawing in a weaker kiss of life with every passing, critical second. As vertigo took over, my head spun with disorientation while the clock continued on; now slower than ever.

Five… three seconds … Four… three seconds… Three… three seconds …

Two…

One…

The early stages of my impending angelic form seemed to sprout its wings, as I felt my body floating… or falling. Was this what death was like? An iridescent spotlight shone down onto my head, rendering me blind once my very existence; my entire being was cast into the clouds of heaven.

I was no longer trapped in my nightmarish struggle, but soaring across a celestial horizon until I spotted the figure of what looked like a woman. As I fell to her feet, she welcomingly spanned the vastness of her feathered wings and helped me to my feet.

Almost instantly, I burst into tears finding that the angel was none other than my Aunt Mary.

"Aunt Mary!" I gasped, throwing my arms around her, and euphoric at my ability to be in her embrace again. They were also tears of regret once I realized that my mistake was irreversible.

"W-where am I? Please… don't tell me it's over! I didn't mean to do this."

"Hmm, well…" she began with a soft laugh.

I smiled.

Her voice... I had missed listening to those sweet dulcet tones as a little girl. She briefly glanced behind my back, and only then did I realize that my gym clothing had become replaced by an ivory, velvet robe.

"You haven't sprouted any wings yet, and you're missing a halo. Right now, you're In Between: the deep stages of unconsciousness and the early reaches of death."

"So, I'm not fully dead? Just… half?" I questioned, not fully aware of what was happening.

"Yes. And you are only here because you needed to realize that attempting suicide was not the answer. I have watched you blossom into a beautiful, strong young lady long after I was gone. While you may have doubted yourself about handling everyday struggles, I saw that there was more to you. You were one of the most gifted people I'd ever met, and you should learn to embrace those talents of yours."

"What talents? Having a freakishly high I.Q. so that kids could make fun of me? What else?" I scoffed.

"Being intelligent is not something to be embarrassed about…. You also have a beautiful singing voice. Don't think I can't hear you singing in your room."

"No, I-I can't sing as well as Mami. She's a wonderful singer," I doubted that I held that kind of talent.

"I beg to differ, Sugar. And you should be eager to share that with the world."

My Aunt Mary and I began a stroll through a virtual timeline of that humiliating afternoon. Watching my own heartbreak from an outside perspective only reminded me of the very reason I had been compelled to end my life.

"But that's the problem… no one likes me. You've seen what those kids did to me. Today, I just had enough of my life. I didn't want to deal with them anymore."

"That was no reason to harm yourself like this. I understand; what those bullies have done to you was inhumane and degrading. But you shouldn't give them the satisfaction of watching their actions have emotional impact on you. They have ruined your entire perspective of why you were put into this world, but only _you_ have the power to fix it," my aunt encouraged me.

My gaze fell onto the pearly cobblestone walkway, as I let out a sigh.

"Would you tell me? Because_ I_ sure don't know what my purpose is in life."

Aunt Mary paused in the midst of our walk, and placed her hand on my shoulder as if to introduce me to a theory in which I'd never thought to take to heart.

"You were brought into this world out of love. Your mother and father only pushed themselves to work hard because they loved you so much and strived to give you the best life possible. _You_ only help your mother to raise your siblings because you love her enough to keep half the burden off her shoulders; is that right?" she questioned.

"Right… B-but what does love have to do with my future?"

"Love is only a matter Give and Take: While your parents have given their love to you, you've taken it for your siblings. This can only add up if you continue to give and take. If you give your love to whomever else comes along, it's a matter of time until they _take_ it and _give_ their own love in return as well. Does that make sense?"

The timeline suddenly displayed the hazy silhouettes of four people. One each side there were the two figures that seemed to appear like girls, and between them was a boy. The fourth figure was that of a man, and I knew exactly who he was. My mother's boyfriend, Troy. The others were not as easy to identify. The boy's figure then appeared watching, as the scene between me and my tormentors unfolded. The way his fists repeatedly clenched instantly gave away that he had been fuming. As I burst through the doors in tears, he stormed away in a fit of rage.

"It does make sense... I know the tallest is Troy, but who are those three people? Does that mean that they'll be my life?"

"Who am I to know, Sugar? That depends on how much you're willing to let them into your life. Be on the lookout for these people. The answer may be right in front of you, whether you know it or not. But when you do find out who they are, trust your heart and you can never go wrong," Aunt Mary heartened, lifting my head with her finger so that her gaze was locked to mine.

"But how will I do that now? How am I ever going to know if I die?"

"Well… that is where you have a chance at self-redemption, Raquél. You only have one life to live and I don't think that you deserve to miss out on the wonderful experiences to come. That is why I'm going to give you a second chance."

In the second it took for me to ensnare my aunt in a tight embrace, I was back in my normal clothing and shedding tears of gratitude.

"Oh, thank you so much, Aunt Mary! I won't ever do this again!" I exclaimed.

"It's your life, Sugar. Live it well and give as much love as you can. But once you get back, promise me that you will try to see yourself in a different light. Believe in yourself and what you're capable of. Before going into any relationship you have to learn to fully accept yourself, and that _includes_ inner beauty. Just keep your head up, stand tall, and things will sail smoothly from now on. Promise me?"

Her angelic presence seemed to fade before my eyes, even as I tightened my grip to keep her in my embrace.

"I promise, Aunt Mary. I miss you so much," I sniffled, finding myself speaking to a billowing surge of clouds. Her voice replied as a whispering echo.

"I miss you, Raquél… I love you all."

Soon after the peaceful fade of my angel aunt, came the disturbing rasp of a wheezing cough. My hands mechanically clamped around my throat as the dying gasps of my previous struggle resurfaced with a vengeance. The heavenly portal surrounding me suddenly shattered like a broken pane of glass; and I returned to the real world in what seemed like, the nick of time.

No longer hanging in midair I lay across the carpet of the bedroom, free of the deathly grips of an inevitable ending. The loose bundle of rope stretched from my neck to a thick metal post, which had broken off its closet supports.

My body trembled severely, as if trying to recover itself from the trauma I had put it through. The slightest gasps that escaped from my breaths ached my sore throat, and I whimpered in pain when a sudden cough emerged.

Once I'd regained full control of my vision, I glanced up to see that merely five minutes had passed when I decided to drape the rope around my neck.

Quickly sensing that word had spread to my mother about my provoked escape from school, I weakly dragged myself along the carpet to reach my cell phone. Predictably, the device continued to buzz with outraged text messages from her demanding: _Where are you? Why did you run away from school?_

I was fully aware that I did not have a voice, so I did not bother to call back.

Instead I sent a reply saying, _I'll tell u later… when you come home._

The angry expression she sent back gave me an indication that I was in serious trouble with her. She was going to leave work early to punish me. I was no longer afraid of punishment, because I was no longer afraid of anything.

If I had anything to fear from then on, it was death.

**~RMCR~**

For the remaining moments I had left before my mother would arrive, I rushed to destroy any piece of evidence that could give away my attempt. After tossing the bundle of rope into the garbage and fixing the broken post on the closet door, the last task I had yet to finish was to shred the suicide note in my unused paper-shredder. I knew that just shredding one piece of paper would have raised my mother's suspicions, so I grabbed as much paper as I could and shred them until the machine was full.

In a matter of minutes I had accomplished what could have been done in 30 minutes, but I had finished in half that time. Everything I'd used before had been perfectly hidden or cleverly thrown away. I told myself that there was enough time for me to recollect my frenzied thoughts. But all that changed once I got up to use the bathroom.

As I washed my hands, my gaze avoided the reflection in the mirror. Ashamed to even look at my own face, I focused on the lower half of the mirror, and only then did I notice the damage I'd done to myself.

I tilted my head back to reveal the gruesome red streak that stretched across my neck; which had yet to turn into a bruise.

What was I thinking, determining that committing suicide was going to make things better?

It only showed that I had caused myself as much physical and mental abuse as Maya and Carlos had. What those two did to me was low even for them. Carlos had toyed with my emotions as if I was some kind of game to him. His careless and icy remarks had completely shattered my self-worth, and how I viewed myself as a girl. If that jerk had purposefully intended to make me feel unattractive, then his efforts paid off.

Feeling discouraged, I removed all the mirrors from my bedroom and stored them away in my closet. I did not look like everybody else. _I_ didn't even deserve to look at myself. I felt more hideous than ever before.

The moment the click of the front door bolt echoed down the hallway, I hurried to put on a turtleneck sweater to hide my injury, and waited for my mother to appear.

I did not realize how much I loved her until she walked through the door.

"Mami!" I managed quietly, through my pained breaths.

She seemed taken aback as I crashed into her, locking her waist in a tight embrace. Her hindrance had completely diminished when I began to cry.

"Oh, my baby. What's wrong?" she questioned, and lifted all 90 pounds of me onto her hip. I had not gained any more weight, or grew, in the past few months.

"I just really missed you. I've been through so much today, you have no idea," I sobbed.

My mother immediately dropped her things and carried me to her bedroom, unaware that I had been there just minutes ago. She sat me on her lap at the edge of the bed and rocked me back and forth.

"Well, Mami's here. Tell me what happened," she cooed.

"I hate everyone in that stupid school; no one likes me. Maya really got to me today and I just couldn't take it anymore… Please, Mommy I don't want to go back!"

I wasn't going to tell her exactly what provoked Maya to harass me that day. My mother didn't deserve to feel let down after knowing that I had lost my innocence to someone like Carlos. She didn't deserve the heartbreak of knowing that I tried to commit suicide.

For the first time she did not suggest talking it over with my principal. Instead, she planted a kiss on my forehead and said, "You know what? I feel so heartless to have not transferred you to another school after you've asked me so many times; so if you want I can get all your transcripts and, you can be in another school by Tuesday. Does that sound good?"

Although I had expected to blurt out "yes" before she'd finished the sentence, something in my thoughts reminded me of the enlightening vision I had; and the words were caught in my throat. Aunt Mary promised me that something good was in my future if I continued to attend school. I could not quit now if it was soon going to turn out for the best. This was my chance to prove to Maya and her clique that their words no longer had an effect on me. If I transferred to another school, my move would only give them the satisfaction of knowing that I was weak. And I_ refused_ to be their victim any more.

"Actually," I began. "I don't think I want to change schools after all. You already have enough stresses as it is."

My mother laughed at my cleverness.

"You're always looking out for me, aren't you?"

"Yeah, because I love you. I don't want you to feel like I'm dumping all of my problems on you… I'm in high school; I should be able to take care of things myself."

I settled into the warmth of her as she tightened her embrace around me, if it was possible.

"Ohh, I love you too, baby girl. Now, don't think that I'm upset at you for skipping the rest of school, but please… next time you feel upset at school, just call me. Okay? I can call and get you dismissed at any time. Don't you forget; Mami's here for you. You can talk to me about anything and I _will _listen. You really scared me, running away from the school like that."

"Okay, Mami. I'm sorry—I won't do it again," I said hoarsely, which quickly became her new concern.

My mother tilted my head slightly backwards, nearly uncovering my concealed bruise.

"You okay, Raquél?" she questioned while observing my tired features.

"I think I lost my voice… André and Ria must've given me their bug."

She did not seem to notice as I pulled away, to prevent her from tugging at the collar of my sweater.

"Is that why you're suddenly wearing a turtleneck? After I brought it for you last year?" she chuckled.

"I was… cold."

I sat back onto my mother's bed, watching in silence as she began to strip off her work clothing.

"I think you should try to wear those clothes I bought for you. You'd look extra, _extra _beautiful in them," she said.

"I-I don't know. I'll try to wear them, but I'm not as pretty as you."

"Are you kidding, Raquél? If anything, I wish that I was as beautiful as you."

I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment, as my mother reached out to tuck a curl behind my ear, smiling dotingly.

"No, I-I'm not that beautiful. You are Mami," I denied shyly.

She gave me an affectionate peck on the lips and embraced me a second time, sighing to emphasize her concern for me.

"Oh, honey… If only you could see what everybody else sees."

**~RMCR~**

_**Unknown POV**_

After the infuriating confrontation I had witnessed between Maya, Carlos and Raquél, I decided that I'd waited long enough to do something. If I really wanted her, I would not sit there until things blew over. Doing nothing was just as coldhearted as the torment they put her through. Just to stand up to the Superiors was like committing social suicide, and I knew that I'd have to prepare myself for an onslaught of criticism if I did this. I no longer cared.

_Do it! Just do it!_, my brain screamed the moment a very shattered_ Ángelita_ raced past me in tears.

As hesitant as I felt, something told me that everyone, including myself, was going to benefit from having the courage to stand up to Maya's clique. This would only prove to the student body that they could unite as one and beat Maya at her own game. After all, there were a lot less Superiors compared to an entire school of victims.

Fueled by anger and adrenaline, I stormed towards Maya and spun her around to face me.

"What the hell is your problem, Maya? Do you think that it's funny to treat her like that?"

The group fell silent, stunned at my sudden outrage.

"As a matter of fact, we all do… And _why_ do you suddenly want to stand up for that slut?" she scoffed.

"She has a name, you know. I'm not just standing up for Raquél, but for every single person you and these bastards have hurt. I don't think it's fair for you to treat everyone like they're lower than dirt because, guess what? _You_ are lower than dirt!" I said, forcing my finger into her shoulder to prove my reference to her.

Maya let out a short laugh of disbelief among the group's shocked gasps. She raised her hand to slap me across the face, only to recoil once I grabbed her thin wrist. I was not the violent kind of person, but I did only it just to show her that I meant business.

"Carlos!" she called behind my back in slight panic.

The jerk who took advantage of _Ángelita _charged on command; both of his fists on either side of his body. I let go of Maya and charged also, eager to fight but concluding that words spoke louder than punches. Carlos did not seem to realize that I was at least half a foot taller than him, as he approached quicker to prove that he was not afraid of me. But in truth, he knew of my hidden defenses and saw me as a threat.

"What do you think you're doing, man? Embarrassing us like this," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"You guys are just embarrassing yourselves… Don't make me embarrass _you_ any more by knocking you on your ass. Nothing would make me happier."

"I don't know why you were accepted by us in the first place, _Sanchez_. We could always see that you were a sellout."

I laughed coldly at his useless words and retorted, "It's better to be a sellout than a bully. I'm done putting up with your shit anyway."

Carlos and Maya were rendered dumbfounded by my departing speech, as I pushed through the crowd of my newly _former_ friends. At the end of the class, I left the gym to meet up with my cousins in the next period. Those two girls were my real friends.

Now that I was officially freed from the clutches of the Superiors, all I had left to conquer was to overcome my greatest fear: talking to Raquél. My second greatest fear was getting rejected by her. I went to my friends for help on talking to my crush, so that I would not end up making myself look like a complete idiot.

Just as I had accepted her for the beautiful and intelligent girl she was, I hoped that she would accept me for the genuine and honest man I was.

**Monday**

I was excited to put my weekend training to the test that afternoon as I confidently strolled to my second-to-last class of the day: English.

My much-anticipated plans to talk to Raquél had been put on hold once I found out that our gym teacher had been out sick. Slightly relieved, I was glad to not have to start an awkward conversation by trying to speak during the disorder of the class. I sat behind her in Mrs. Brown's class, so I could simply speak to her then.

As I entered the room, the seven pairs of daggers belonging to that of Maya and her friends pierced through my skull. I only flashed them a cynical grin and continued towards my seat near the back of the classroom. My ex-girlfriend was still fuming after I declared that I could not be with her any longer. I simply told her that I could not date a girl who was as fake as her hair extensions. She _was_ angry, to say the least.

Raquél quickly arrived soon after, looking as gorgeous as ever in a fitted turtleneck sweater. Her curls were drawn back in a side-ponytail that hung over her shoulder and ended above her waist. Aside from her striking good looks, something seemed to be different about her. She did not clutch her books against her chest the way she usually did, when entering a room crowded with people.

Maya sat back, watching the girl in disgust and waiting for the right moment to strike. I could tell that she was just getting warmed up as she unfolded her legs and leaned forward.

"Well, well, well! Look who decided to show up… I thought you would've been on your way to Mexico by now," she laughed, which gave Carlos the consent to take a taunting stab at her self-confidence.

"Hey, Angel… Was I as good as the others?"

Raquél's next response surprised even them. Her usually stunning green eyes darkened with hatred; and after a quick roll of them, she snapped, _"¡__Jódete, Carlos!"_

Whoever could understand the Spanish obscenity gasped. I had never seen her so angry. Carlos drew back while raising his arms in defense.

"Well, _excuse_ me for not knowing about your mood swings," he said sarcastically.

Although the murderous daggers Raquél pointed across the room were not directed towards me, my confidence was rattled with intimidation. As she pushed past a group of hushed students, I avoided her eyes, fearing that she would also glare at me the same way she had done to them.

The wafting scent of Lavender followed soon after she took her seat in front of me. Aside from my favorite scent of coconut; because of _Ángelita_, I had fallen in love with her scent. I wanted to fall in love with more than just her scent.

Once Mrs. Brown returned from a quick errand, she then instructed the class to pass back the vocabulary quiz from the week before.

While my stomach turned with the dread of receiving a possible failed test, I kept on the lookout for a double star-stamped paper. As I'd expected the test belonged to Raquél; which had been graded a perplexing 102%! What could she have possibly done on that exam to have exceeded the standard grading criteria?

This girl was amazing.

My test paper snapped behind her head as she passed it back, not even stealing a glance at me. Like always, my own grade was laughable compared to hers. I was more embarrassed than upset with myself. She must have laughed to herself thinking, "What an idiot."

The graded 43% sheet mocked me. In addition, my teacher left a small note at the top of the paper that said, "See me for help." I wanted to rip up the test to spare myself the lasting effects of disappointment, but then I remembered what my real focus was at that moment.

I sat in my chair, thinking of ways to catch Raquél's attention without aggravating her any further. Asking her for an extra pencil was out of the question, as she kept ignoring me when I begged repeatedly. Sensing that she was about to snap another time, I complied with Mrs. Brown's demands to "complete my assignment, or else."

With just seven minutes left in class, I knew I had to hurry.

Running out of options, a moment of recall brought out a simple method that I could have used from the very beginning of that period. My last hopes depending on the clatter of a pencil; I purposefully tossed the object onto the floor. If I were to freeze up like I did the last time, there was no way that I could execute this properly.

Once again Raquél responded by _not_ moving a muscle. My plans were quickly going downhill. This time, I tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Sorry to bother you, but could you get my pencil for me?"

"Could you say 'please' first?" she retorted coolly.

Ouch.

"Oh, m-my bad… please?"

She hated me.

After letting out a loud sigh of exasperation, she reluctantly stretched beneath her desk to retrieve my pencil. My eye was nearly poked out as she thrust it into my face without looking. Although her patience with me had completely run its course, it was my chance to catch that opportunity as it dangled just out of my reach. And I was determined not to lose that opportunity.

"Hey, thanks… For a second there, I thought you were going to leave it on the floor," I tried, chuckling awkwardly.

"If you annoyed me anymore, I would've."

"Again, I am so sorry for being such a bother. I mean, you can't blame a guy for getting sweaty hands around a pretty girl."

Oh, no. Another unintended slip of the tongue.

_Why don't you just keep your damn mouth shut?_ my head scorned, as Raquél's sudden dark stare overwhelmed me.

I was not sure if she had heat vision, so I shifted my gaze just in case. She spun around in her seat silently; it was the calm before the storm.

"Look, I—"

"Listen to me… I don't know who the hell you think you are, but do _not_ talk to me. Just because you don't want to learn doesn't mean that I want to do the same," she said.

Her voice; although low and threatening, was still beautiful enough for me to think that she'd fallen out of heaven. Nothing—not even her fear-provoking anger, could subside my fascination with her.

Now that I had been copiously insulted, I began to feel discouraged. Someone had to take the blame for making her have so much bitterness against me. I would only share a minor part of the blame because of the crowd I allowed myself to befriend. None other than that bastard Carlos was responsible for making her think that every guy she met would act like he cared only to break her heart. He was to blame for wrecking her perspective of a genuine guy.

Getting the cold shoulder from Raquél was not the only thing that proposed to ruin my day. As I murmured a second dejected apology, Mrs. Brown caught me in the act and began to approach with her usual menacing stalk.

"Mr. Sanchez… since you seem to think that talking is more important than my lesson, we can talk after class," she chastened expertly.

"What? But I wasn't even talking that much!"

"And I do not care how much you were talking. Talking is still talking. Open your mouth in my class, and you stay _after _class."

The students reacted, breaking into amused groans at my defeat.

"Damn it!" I muttered beneath my breath as I fell back in my chair, tightly folding my arms across my chest.

Now, I was almost convinced that I had no chance in hell of winning a date with Raquél. Despite my doubts of escaping class without earning a detention, I refused to quit. If my efforts meant landing me in hot water with my teachers, there had to be some worth in trying.

In my hearing range the girl scoffed to herself.

At least I hoped it would be worth it.

**~RMCR~**

Not only did my efforts to get my dream girl land me in hot water, but it also landed_ her_ in hot water. Raquél had not gotten in trouble for talking during class. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Among the stampeding rush to escape the hellish depths of Mrs. Brown's English class, she remained seated; slowly packing away her books while waiting for the crowd of students to thin out. As I reluctantly approached the front desk to learn the consequences of my actions, my teacher glanced behind my back and noticed Raquél about to make her way out.

She was not going to make it.

"Ms. Richmond, if you would come here also. I need to talk to the both of you," she called to the girl.

"Yes, Mrs. Brown?"

The hesitance in her voice revealed to me that she knew she was about to receive bad news.

"Mr. Sanchez, I know how much your athletic coach and fellow teammates value your expertise on the football field. I'm sure that they will never return disappointed from an away game, as long as they have you to bring home the trophy," Mrs. Brown guessed, knowing of my most talked-about victories at every school football game.

I was getting sick of popularity.

"Uh, I guess…"

"I'm also sure that you are aware of the athletic department's policy that all team players must maintain a C-average or higher in order to continue playing sports. Is that right?"

"Right…" I replied, growing anxious because I knew where this conversation was going.

Before I could gather my wits to comprehend what my teacher was trying to say, Raquél made her presence known, possibly wanting to know what my football had to do with her.

"I hate to interrupt, Mrs. Brown, but… if you're talking to him, then why am I here?" she questioned.

"Well, this is where you come in, Raquél. Mr. Sanchez here is going to need a tutor to boost his grades in my class so that he can stay on the football team. I figured that you would be perfect for the job."

That was just the opportunity I needed to keep my hopes up. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, my English teacher came through for me without even knowing it. For the first time I was actually happy to have gotten in trouble with Mrs. Brown.

Although I kept my building excitement suppressed, the same could not be said for Raquél.

"What?" she exclaimed in outrage. "Why do I have to tutor him? Can't he get help from someone else?"

"I'm afraid no one else is available, Ms. Richmond. You are one of the top-ranking students at this school and you are the only one who does not have an afternoon commitment with the National Honor Society," she explained.

"But I _do_ have a commitment! I have to take my brother and sister home every day, and spend the rest of my evening changing diapers and cooking for them."

Mrs. Brown only shrugged, as if Raquél's duties at home meant nothing to her. On the other hand I was still shocked, so I did not say anything.

"Mr. Sanchez can make the commute to your house if you cannot go to his. Now, I know what an inconvenience this must be for the both of you, but I was contacted by his parents and they were concerned about his failing grades."

"But _his_ grades aren't any concern of mine," she argued.

I remained silent, keeping out of the disagreement in fear of losing an eye.

"I am sorry, Raquél, but that's just the way it has to be. Whether you like it or not you are the only available student at the moment and Mr. Sanchez may as well have a tutor that shares the same class as him. He needs the help to improve his grades and that is final… Your homework tonight is to go over his test and work on vocabulary. Goodbye."

Sensing that we were both going to be late for our last classes of the day, I cleared my throat to indicate that a new flock of students were waiting outside the classroom.

"But Mrs. Brown…" Raquél whined, stomping her foot in the most adorable manner.

"That is final, Ms. Richmond. Now run along to your last class. We don't want you to arrive late, now do we?"

The girl threw her arms up in defeat and stormed out of the classroom fuming, finding no more use in arguing her way out of tutoring. I followed soon after, but nearly knocked her petite frame to the floor as she suddenly spun around on her heels.

"Since this is clearly _your_ fault, be at my house at 3:00 and no later than that. I don't care how you get there but just get there on time. If it's any later than three o'clock you can forget me tutoring you," she warned while pointing a sharp finger at my face. "I'm only doing this because I have a feeling that my grade is in danger; not because I care about you or your stupid football."

As she marched down the hallway without another word, I did not get the chance to ask her for her address. Embarrassingly I had to go back to my English teacher to get the street address.

Though my efforts to get to Raquél finally earned me the chance to be with her; my next dangerous task at hand was breaking through her tough exterior. Once again, I turned to my female cousins for advice.

Ángelita was soon going to learn the sincere and compassionate side of me. The real me.

**What a sweet ending! Or not lol. I hope you can understand why Raquél is suddenly acting this way towards her bullies as well as her unknown crush. She's coming off as a little tougher but she'll soon learn that stooping to that level won't help her at all. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and as always, REVIEW! :D**


	9. Common Ground

**This was a very late chapter… Now that you all have a name (sort of) I will only reveal a little bit more about Raquél's admirer like where he was born and exactly HOW old he is. Hopefully, you won't freak lol. But since Raquél's emotions are kind of on-edge at the moment, hopefully you'll understand why she is suddenly acting the way she is even though Sanchez has never done anything to her. They'll eventually learn more about each other with this tutoring arrangement. Enjoy and Review! **

**Chapter 9: Common Ground**

**Raquél **

Unbelievable!

Not only did that stammering idiot Sanchez get me into trouble with Mrs. Brown, but now I had to tutor him so that he wouldn't get kicked off the football team. As if I needed another burden on my shoulders, this threatened to ruin my afternoon.

I went about my typical after school routine, pushing my baby brother and sister in a stroller through the crowded school yard; enduring disapproving yet ignorant stares from people who happened to walk by; waiting for the 2:30 bus home… the usual.

As I boarded the bus with my siblings, I found the uncommon sight of Aurora, sitting near the back of the vehicle. She usually did not ride the bus from her high school, so I approached her to investigate. Upon catching a glimpse of me, her features did not perk up like they usually did on a typical day. Instead, I tried not to shrink under her startling icy glare; not knowing what I could have done to make her so angry.

My heart fell into my stomach as I tried to start friendly conversation.

"Um… Hi, Aurora. D-do you mind if I sit here?" I asked timidly, referring to the empty plastic seat beside her.

She only gave me a wordless scoff, and shifted towards the window. As much as I wanted to cry for receiving this harsh treatment by my friend, I took the seat anyway. I wanted to know what was going on and I wanted to know now.

"What's wrong?"

The innocent question seemed to anger her even more. I couldn't help but flinch as she suddenly turned on her seat.

"'What's wrong?' Is that all you can say after stabbing me in the back?" she exclaimed in outrage.

"Wh-what?"

"I thought we were friends…"

The hurt in her eyes sent me on an immediate guilt trip, as she folded her arms across her chest. The only problem was, I still did not know what she was talking about.

"B-but we are friends; I-I don't understand," I stammered, and dared to continue with my defense. "Why are you so mad at me? What did I do?"

Aurora's voice rose the more she spoke, which soon caught the attention of just about every passenger on the bus. They all listened intently, completely engrossed in our building argument. I was not nearly as mortified as I was devastated, but I felt my face growing hot with anxiety from being under so much pressure.

"You would really sit here and lie to my face? My boyfriend told me that last week, you tricked him into having sex with you! That's why I'm so mad!" she yelled above the roar of the bus.

Of all the boys to lose my innocence to, why did it have to be Aurora's _boyfriend_? Who else but Carlos would do something like this to me? It was only typical that that lying, heartless jerk would be the one to twist around a story just to pit someone against me. This only added insult to my injury.

"Carlos? He's your boyfriend? But I-I didn't know! He never told me that he was going out with anyone… He came onto me—honestly!" I argued.

I was desperate not to lose the only friend I had. Aurora rolled her eyes as if I had been lying to her the entire time I knew her.

"Oh, yeah right! Like he suddenly came up to you one day and told you that he liked you… Just like you told me that those babies were your 'siblings.' If they _are_ your siblings, then why do you drop them off and pick them up every day, huh?"

"Because my mom works 16 hours a day, and she's going through a divorce right now! And who are _you_ to assume that I'm some kind of whore for sleeping with your boyfriend and not knowing that you two were dating?" I retaliated, now equally as angry.

The scrutinizing gazes continued to rain down on me and my siblings; some of the passengers actually believing Aurora's accusation of me being their mother.

"You are a whore! Probably used me to get to him," she sneered.

It frightened me just how much she sounded like Maya.

"For the last time, _I did not know!_"

Only then did my brother André notice that that I was in distress, and began to fuss for me.

"Mama," he cried, which could not have been brought up at the wrong moment in the midst of our heated argument.

Aurora rose to her seat in shock at my supposed betrayal of her trust.

"There you go again! Lying to me when the truth is apparently sitting in your lap!"

The pressure of trying to regain the trust in my dwindling friendship; the pressure of being humiliated in front of strangers who now knew my most intimate secrets; the pressure of my harsh everyday reality that was just a glorified hellhole. As much as I fought to keep my tears at a standstill, they only accompanied my heavy sobs.

"You don't know me! You have no idea what goes on in my home and in my life! If you would believe some worthless guy over me, then I guess we can't be friends anymore."

"I guess so! I knew you were a slut from the beginning, anyway!" was her parting retort, right before she stormed off the bus in a huff.

I was left to pick up the pieces of our broke friendship, exposed and vulnerable to the critical throng of passengers. My only means of comfort was my baby brother, who I held in my arms for the rest of the commute home.

To make matters worse, I still had to tutor this Sanchez…

**~RMCR~**

**Sanchez**

This was it… my first journey into the mysterious life of my crush, Raquél.

As I parked my car in the parking garage of the building, I had not expected to end up at such an elegant complex. This was not like any other apartment, but an upscale condominium.

Equipped with only the address of the building, I made my way into the lobby and wandered to the reception desk. The employee that sat behind the desk—whose face was half-concealed with the uneven height of his chair and the desk—raised one eyebrow at my presence.

"Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?" he asked while pausing from his task of typing.

"Um, I'm looking for someone named Raquél Richmond… Does she live here?"

"Yes, she does. But why do you want to know if she lives here?"

"I'm only going to be here for a couple hours. She's supposed to be tutoring me," I replied.

Still unconvinced that I deserved to be trusted, the man reached for the phone beside his computer. His features remained frozen with suspicion, as if he thought that I was there to do more than get tutored.

On the opposite line I heard_ Ángelita's_ faint, sweet voice once the phone picked up.

"Yeah, Raquél? I have a young man here by the name of…?" he trailed off, waiting for a name.

"Sanchez," I said.

"… Sanchez. He claims that he's here for a tutoring session… Oh, he is? Alright, then; I'll send him up, sweetie… Okay, goodbye."

The man grew slightly red in the face, embarrassed that he had even judged me in the first place.

"Well, then… her apartment is on the 25th floor; door number 214," he said after clearing his throat.

Once I had been granted permission to head towards the elevators, the receptionist let me off with a departing warning.

"And hey, don't you try to pull anything while you're up there with her. I won't hesitate to call her mother…"

"Trust me, I won't," I replied to myself, as I disappeared behind the doors of the elevator.

Once at my destination I was surprised to find that the corridor resembled that of a fancy hotel. I imagined that only the most successful of business associates and families lived in this kind of place. If Raquél's parents happened to be successful, no wonder the girl was gifted with such a sophisticated level of education.

Not knowing what I was about to find behind those doors, I approached the apartment I'd been searching for with slight hesitance in my step. As I raised my fist to knock on the door, I remembered what I was really here for. This was not about my low grades in English, or the danger of losing my position on the school football team. At that moment I only wanted to know more about Raquél.

Following the few confident knocks I made against the door, there was the patter of little feet. And only then did I realize the glow of a doorbell alongside the frame.

Blunder number one: Failing to notice the obvious. I could not let this one mistake break my confidence.

I was greeted by an adorable baby girl once the door swung open, and she cooed at my presence. My attention focused on the baby, I did not notice the pair of feet that were planted behind her… until I brought my gaze up.

From then on, all my thoughts could come up with was, "Damn…"

Aside from her typical attire of a baggy sweater and loose-fitting jeans, I was rendered stunned silent at the sight of Raquél; clad in jean shorts, a fitted black tank top and a scarf. Now she looked beautiful_ and_ hot. What was this girl trying to do to me?

"What did I tell you about sitting behind the door,_ miel_? Do you want to get hurt?" Raquél gently scolded her sister, briefly tossing her into the air. The baby giggled, and in response, gladly accepted a kiss from her sister. This new side I had discovered—her affectionate side—only strengthened my attraction to her.

Her smile faltered slightly once she noticed me. I stood frozen in place; my mind blank.

"H-Hey," I stammered after a few agonizing seconds of silence.

"Well, don't just stand there. Come in."

Uncertain where I was supposed to do next, I awkwardly took off my coat, then followed her past the foyer and into the warm living room.

My eyes, seemingly equipped with a mind of their own, drifted down her back in search of the teasing pairs of dimples. I had yet to meet another person on earth with these eye-catching features. While her arms swung back and forth, the pair on the back of her shoulders repeatedly winked at me. The pair on her lower back—which drove me the craziest—narrowed to complement the sway of her hips. I was sure that if she were to catch me, I'd certainly earn a slap in the face.

_Not now! Stop checking her out, you pervert!_, my subconscious voice reprimanded in an effort to put an end to my provoked thoughts.

I casually placed my coat onto the armrest of her couch, when another child, this time a baby boy, toddled around the corner. As I knelt down to his level, he smiled up at me, letting the pacifier drop from his mouth.

"Venga aquí, Papi. Time for bed," Raquél said before quickly grasping his palm and leading him away.

Once the siblings disappeared into a lit hallway, I was left to observe the apartment for myself. The room had been neatly arranged and spacious, with an assortment of matching, contemporary furniture. The floors were cluttered with baby toys and books of every kind, but I loved the family-oriented atmosphere.

The long-cherished memories of my childhood came flooding back. The place reminded me of the home that I once shared with my family, back in my old country. I missed the beautiful sandy beaches, the friendly locals, and most importantly, the seclusion from the hectic city.

As Raquél returned, her green eyes narrowed at me once she found my snowflake-speckled coat draped over her parents' furniture.

"Uh, I don't think so… This is my house; not yours. Go put that away in the closet," she demanded calmly, which disturbed me the most because I sensed that she was at her most dangerous.

"Sorry—I'm so sorry."

With her hands anchored on her hips, she observed me like a guard would when watching over prisoners. On my way towards the closet in the foyer, I nearly stumbled over a child's toy.

Why was I so _incapable_ of keeping my composure in front of this girl? Most importantly, why was I so afraid of her? I knew that Raquél did not bite… the girl hardly reached the middle of my torso. There was no reason for me to feel this way about her. But then again, elephants held a deathly fear of mice. I hoped to find a quick cure for my intimidation so that I could get closer to her.

If I wanted to get on her good side, I had to keep the friendly conversation going. Humor always worked, I figured.

"Can you believe that that guy at the front desk thought I was some kind of creep for asking for your apartment? I mean—come on; that's ridiculous! I'm a junior for Christ's sake," I laughed, more to myself when she did not find my attempt funny.

"Well, you can't blame him… I'd think the exact same thing, since you're like, 20 and still in high school."

"I'm 19, actually," I corrected, while spreading my books across the coffee table.

As if she wanted to say," like that's a difference," Raquél blew out a sigh and sat beside me. It was the closest I had ever gotten to her. I quickly found myself fighting off the urge to put my arm around her shoulders. However, somewhere in the back of my mind, I sensed that she was not as comfortable.

"Whatever—look, let's just get this over with so you can go home. What was Mrs. Brown's assignment for you?"

"Uh, she said that we needed to go over my test."

"Okay, then. Take out your test," she said.

Despite the previous embarrassment I faced in receiving my failed test, I reluctantly let her observe my test. Her scrutinizing gaze turned from confused, to shocked, to incredulous in a matter of seconds. I looked away knowing that I would have to brace myself for a storm of criticism. A few torturous moments of uncertainty ticked by, accompanied by Raquél's quiet, perplexed sighs.

After propping her chin onto her upraised palm, all she could manage was a breathless, "Wow. Just… wow."

"I know… I-I'm not really good at English to begin with," I randomly decided to include.

And so, the rant began.

"I mean, it's one thing to get a low score on a test, but this is just ridiculous! Out of 60 questions, how did you manage to get only 26 correct? There's no excuse for grades like these, especially for this test. Mrs. Brown gave us a whole week to learn these words. Maybe I didn't need to look in a dictionary, but what the hell made you so busy all week that you couldn't study?"

The answer was quite obvious, but I dared to reply, thinking that she expected me to come up with a response.

"Football," I said meekly.

"Yes, I know that you play football. That's all you people think about around here! I don't know why you even bother to show up to school since you're _obviously_ not interested in learning anything."

"I do want to learn… it's just that—"

"What? Are you scared that it's going to affect your precious clique? You think your friends are going to make fun of you for wanting to actually learn something?" she shouted, making blind assumptions.

In my usual infatuation with her, my patience slowly began to wear thin. I didn't like the feeling of losing my patience with Raquél. I rose from my seat, raising my palms in defense.

"Please don't yell. I really don't want to start an argument."

By this time, she was also on her feet, stabbing my chest with a painful finger.

"I have to yell! It's the only way I can get anything through that thick head of yours!"

"Wait, me? Why are you yelling at me? I just met you." I reluctantly elevated my voice to match hers.

The more she pressed closer to me, the more I discovered the pain etched in her darkened features. I fell into a whole new dimension. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. As she continued to yell at me, her voice, racked with emotion, ripped through my bones and struck me to the core. Her balled-up fists on either side of her waist tightened with every harsh remark she spat.

Raquél may have appeared infuriated at first glance, but as I looked deeper into her captivating gaze, I saw a struggling girl, searching for a way out. It soon became apparent that she had tried to get out; once the scarf around her neck loosened as a result of her wild gestures. I was horrified to catch a glimpse of the deep purple bruise stretching across her neck.

I had not seen that type of streak since I was thirteen years old, and watched my older cousin lie motionless in a wooden box; among a throng of mourning relatives. It was the exact same bruise marring his fragile neck.

Raquél had attempted to commit suicide by hanging herself. Images of my beautiful crush, suspended in the air and lifeless, came flooding into my thoughts. Nothing had ever overwhelmed me before what what I found, that afternoon.

As I stumbled backwards in alarm, the world seemed to resume at its normal pace, bringing me back to reality and Raquél's angry shouts.

"… and if you're not willing to take any of this seriously, then I suggest that you stop wasting my time and leave!"

Not knowing where I had lost all awareness of the one-sided dispute, I was still too stunned to utter a word. Without a further response from me, Raquél decided that I would have been better off on my own.

"You know what? If you're not going to listen to me, just… forget it," she sighed, dismissing herself with a faint wave of her hand.

Soon, I was left alone in the middle of the living room once she stormed off to her bedroom. Suddenly, my legs fell numb, and I sunk into the couch, burying my face in my hands.

I had nearly lost_ Ángelita_. It seemed like Maya had finally crossed the line and she nearly ended her own life… all because of me. Only because I did not bother to come to her rescue. I should have stood up to my friends sooner. I should have realized that I was selfish to not give up my high school fame sooner.

Unsurprisingly, I was stricken with grief, and found my palms had become damp with tears. I cried because I didn't know what else to think. If she would have died in her attempt, there would be no other reason for me to move on with my life.

Promising to change my views on happiness was better said than done. Basking in the glow of popularity and the glory of leading a winning football team had easily consumed me. Those things did not bring me true happiness. I considered true happiness to be built upon good morals, instead of superficiality. I concluded that if I wanted to be happy, I knew that I would have to make this afterschool arrangement work with Raquél.

Placing my emotions aside, I quickly dried my tears and stood up to find her room. Behind a door at the end of the hallway, I heard what sounded like _Ángelita _furiously typing on a keyboard.

"Raquél," I called gently, while knocking on the door.

The heavy typing stopped, only to be replaced by her muffled tone.

"What the hell do you want? I thought I told you to leave!" she snapped.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry. It's completely my fault for not listening in the first place," I began.

The following response? A quiet scoff.

I tried again.

"You don't have to like me or anything… but I could really use the help right now."

There was no further response, and after a full minute passed, I was convinced that she wanted me to find another tutor.

"Okay, then… I guess if you don't want me here, I'll leave," I said dejectedly, before turning back to collect my belongings.

But once I returned to the living room, the door creaked open and out walked Raquél, seemingly not as cold as she was before. Her attitude towards me was no longer harsh, and instead of rattling my confidence with a sharp remark, she sighed to herself in surrender.

"You'd better be serious about this… I'm not really in the mood for any crap, so if you set me off again, you're out of here."

She really knew how to lay down the law, which appeared to scare me into compliance.

"That's okay; I won't give you any more trouble. I just want to learn some English."

The girl suddenly took a step close and began to observe me as I stood before her. Without a trace of hesitation, she looked into my eyes, reading them. My stomach gripped once my gaze drifted down to the concealed bruise on her neck. Now _I_ began to feel insecure. Did she notice that I had been crying?

For the first time, Raquél had taken a sudden curiosity in me.

"Why _are_ you 19 and in high school?" she asked.

"I can tell you. But, just so we don't get sidetracked, let's start the homework."

Even as we returned to our earlier designated seats on the couch, she scooted closer to me as I reached over to grab the tests. She turned to me with an expectant glance, indicating that she wanted to know my story. This time, the olive green in her eyes brightened to a dazzling shade of emerald. It only ensued whenever she grinned.

"Since I'm going to be tutoring you for a while, you might as well give me an explanation," she explained, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Okay, um… I'm not a slow learner, if you may have believed that before. But I basically had to repeat high school when I moved from my country."

"Are you Cuban?" she guessed expertly, which clearly left me stunned.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"I can tell by your accent… When you speak in Spanish you drop the 'S' instead of pronouncing it. I do the same thing since I'm Puerto Rican, but I can tell the difference."

Now I was starting to get an exact idea of just how intelligent she was. Predictably, it attracted me to her even more.

"That is really cool. Usually, I can't even tell a Cuban from a _Boricua_ outside of my country," I laughed, and to my relief, she cracked a smile.

"Was it rough growing up?"

"Definitely. I used to share one house with my parents and the rest of my family; and we went from middle class to poor from time to time. I still love my country, though. I just wished that I could've done something to keep the bills from piling up. But anyway, my parents always had a plan for us to move to America, and because of the immigration laws, we had to go to a lottery system to get a visa."

"Oh, yeah, the Green Card. That must've been really hard to get," she empathized.

"It was… We tried for a few years but we were never chosen, so we quit. My Aunt got to go eventually; only because she married this Dominican guy who lived in New York. That was a long time ago—when I was 8. But around my 16th birthday, my parents decided to try one last time after overhearing my older sister saying that they were quitters. They didn't like that, and they proved her wrong. All of a sudden my mom and dad came in one night crying, and when I asked them what happened they told us to start packing. We finally got a green card and we were moving to Miami, Florida. I was ready to go… I didn't have to take much ESL classes because I knew a little English; and our relatives there were going to let us stay with them until my dad got a job."

"That's good. But what happened with school that you had to repeat all four years?"

I was ecstatic. Raquél seemed to be really interested in my reason for being here. Surely, I knew that she would warm up to me if I continued to find some common ground with her. Our English homework, long forgotten, sat on the coffee table without a care.

"Well, for some reason, when I tried to enroll in a community college to finish my third year of high school, they told me that I didn't have the required finished courses to graduate the next year. In my high school back in Cuba, we didn't have the best education because we couldn't afford some books for the academics. I was supposed to take four years of Math and three years of Social Science, but I only finished two by the time I reached 11th grade," I explained to her.

"Oh-no, that must've sucked. How long did you stay in Florida?" she asked.

"I decided to take a year off from school in Miami to brush up on my English, and the summer I turned 17, my father got a job in New York and we moved again. My only problem was, I was embarrassed because I was a freshman again… only I was with a bunch of kids. Since I'm 19 now, I have the option to get my GED. But I'd rather graduate and receive an actual high school diploma… I'm hoping to get a football scholarship too. My mom always told me that it was important to finish what I started, so I'm determined to finish high school. No matter who gets in my way."

At the conclusion of my story, I wondered what Raquél thought of me now that she knew one of my most personal secrets. She brought her gaze upwards, and eased my agitation with an accepting nod.

"Wow… For a jock you seem pretty serious about your education. It's nice to know that not all of you are the same," she said, which couldn't have lofted my spirits any higher.

"Well, we're not all the same."

Stressing how eager I was to prepare for a make-up exam, I lifted my textbook from the coffee table. I wanted to prove to her that I was not only willing to learn from her, but that I was different than the common high school athlete.

"Would you mind showing me how I can find the meaning for these words without using a dictionary?"

"Oh, you mean by identifying the word in parts? It's really easy if you know the origin and grammar," she explained.

I watched intently as she pointed out one of the many complex words in which I'd gotten wrong on my test.

"Here… let's use this word as an example: Denominative. With these types of words, you can break them down into smaller parts and analyze them by the root word, prefix and suffix. First, see if the prefix belongs to a Greek or Latin origin… The prefix 'De-' is a Latin word, meaning to take something away. And what I do is separate each part into three so that I can distinguish between the prefix, suffix and the root word. So you can put a slash between 'de-' and 'nomin', then a slash between that and '-ive.' The word nomin means 'name,' and the suffix –ive means 'to have the nature of/ to be like.' If you put all these word origins together, what does 'Denominative' mean?"

Could this girl get any more amazing? Without the help of a dictionary or her own test, she managed to dissect such a complex word as if her exceptional knowledge was a mutual trait of the everyday public. Although determining the correct meaning of a word was a piece of cake for her, I saw this word puzzle as a slight challenge.

"De-nomin-ative," I hesitantly sounded out the word, and leant back in contemplation. "I think it means—it's the name of something. Is the word an adjective?"

"That's correct. Go ahead."

"I-I… That's pretty much it for me. All I know is that it has to do with a name, right?" I fathomed.

"That's _really_ close; but it means 'constituting a distinctive designation or name.' If you just stick to this method, you'll past English in no time."

Just then, as Raquél surged forward to collect her test, the dictionary was accidently knocked out of my grip.

"Sorry," we both apologized in unison, while leaning over to grab the book.

Jolting sparks coursed through my veins as her palm covered mine. My heart raced; my thoughts evaporated, and dizziness had begun to set in… All from the touch of an angel—Ángelita. The temporary high was enough to keep me perched on Cloud Nine; but that didn't last very long.

Aside from the friendly conversation we had just shared, the sudden awkward tension rendered us silent. The feeling, unfortunately, was mutual.

"Well, um… I-I think it's starting to get a little late. My parents must be wondering where I am right about now," I stammered as my face began to burn scarlet.

Hesitant to look directly into each other's eyes, our gazes shifted back and forth to avoid locking.

"Right. I need to start dinner for my brother and sister anyway."

The agonizing silence rang in my ears once I fumbled to collect my belongings. Raquél stood up to help me pack, equally as rattled. A curtain of curls swung over her face, seemingly making her more beautiful under my stare.

After slipping into my coat, I gave her a quick parting smile and wave. I watched the corners of her mouth raise slightly. She must have noticed the deep hollows indenting my cheeks.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, making no effort to hide the building hope in my voice.

"Y-yeah. I guess I'll… see you too."

Treading into the corridor, I mumbled a quick "bye" before striding away in good spirits. I wondered how this tutoring lesson had changed the way Raquél saw me out of my usual football element. I hoped that she knew that I was a truly kind person, and how eager I was to get along with her. If I greeted her at school the next day, there was a definite possibility that she would try to avoid me; but I set out to become friends with her. And with the help of my cousins, I could someday turn our friendship into a relationship.

With any luck, there would be more common ground to be discovered.

**Even though there was some minimal drama in this chapter, there will be even MORE in the next, so be on the lookout. Promise I won't take this long again lol.. REVIEW please!**


	10. Rescue

**So, I was kind of disappointed for the last chapter. It didn't pull in as much reviews as I would have liked :/. Although Sanchez and Raquél have gotten off to a steady start with the tutoring, this is where things begin to grow complicated, mostly because of her recent worries about her body image. But this is also where she comes to an understanding with someone who has gone through the same ordeal as she has. Things are going to happen between them very quickly, but with the trauma she still feels, she will be reluctant to get close. This'll be one heck of a ride for all of them. P.S., I'm still not revealing Sanchez's first name; all I will give you now is his nickname (and a very cute nickname at that). Enjoy! :D**

**Chapter 10: Rescue**

On Monday morning I'd come to the hurtful conclusion that no matter what I wore, nothing seemed to make me look any_ less_ attractive. This occurred to me the very moment I opened my eyes beneath my duvet.

An updo didn't work; wearing a headband was even worse. I tried some makeup—a dab of eyeshadow and a thin layer of lip gloss. But I quickly removed the cosmetics knowing what awful comments I would receive. Mixing and matching outfits caused me the most frustration because I had no sense of fashion whatsoever.

In my daily struggle to find just about anything that made me look normal, I usually gave into defeat and threw on a pair of jeans and the largest sweatshirt that I could find. I mostly used the baggy clothing to hide the obvious flaws on my body.

Embarrassed to ever admit the truth out loud, I was insecure.

There was no need for me to worry about my fear of mirrors at home. All the mirrors in my bedroom had been removed; I stored pictures of myself beneath the clothes in my drawer. In the bathroom where mirrors seemed to be inescapable, I simply kept my distance from the mirror. Every day after I showered, I often wrapped myself in a towel and made a quick dash back to my room, ashamed to even look at my own body. If I didn't like the look of my body, I was sure that no one else would.

It seemed as though my lack of confidence took a turn for the worst after my disgraceful encounter with Carlos. Nightmares continued to haunt me of that evening, brandishing altered versions which; depending on the occasion—rape, physical abuse—always had me waking up in tears. I still hated myself for ever thinking that I could trust him; for thinking that I was actually normal with a boyfriend.

Who needed "boyfriends" anyway? All they did was take advantage first then break hearts later. The possibility of getting hurt was inevitable. They just didn't care who they hurt. I now had _two_ examples of deceitful males… In a recent instance, my father hurt my mother by cheating, and Carlos only pretended to care because he obviously didn't want me for my intellect.

If another guy was _supposedly_ into me, I would not want to relive the pain and regret of his cold-heartedness. Right then and there I decided to shut out all the men that I would ever meet. There would be no room for heartbreak or frustration if I remained single for the rest of my life. Having relationships led to breakups; marriages led to divorce, and I intended to avoid these risks.

Although I hated Carlos now more than ever, the one thing about our former relationship that I could not seem to part with was the feeling of being wrapped up in his arms. I felt admired and protected; like he was the only one in school who cared about me. All things considered, it was nice while it lasted.

"While it lasted"—that was what I feared the most.

**~RMCR~**

My tutoring session with Sanchez had gone much better than I'd expected. For one thing, I now knew the reason for him being a 19-year-old Junior. Being born of Puerto Rican-American descent, I could not relate to the process of green card visas and immigration. But as a person of Hispanic ethnicity, I could fully relate to the harsh discrimination of my race. Those who were ignorant to the diversity of Hispanics often grouped us together as one culture. They formulated stereotypes; hurtful anecdotes that presumed that we all came to America smuggled in a van, or that we were "illegal."

I began to wonder if Sanchez had ever experienced such types of discrimination in the few years he'd spent in America. Suddenly, I felt guilty for judging him about his knowledge of English. While he knew Standard English, he was not taught the complex type in which I had been trained to speak by my mother. She had also taught me to get to know someone before assuming that they knew the same things as me.

I knew plenty of things, mostly from an early start. I knew how to spell the word "ambidextrous" by the time I was 8; I was also trilingual—Italian being my third language. So how could I have not realized that Sanchez must have had a life just as challenging as mine? We did not suffer in the same exact ways, but the pain was all too communal.

When I saw him at school that morning, he only smiled and gave me a short, acknowledging nod. At the same time I pictured Carlos doing the exact same thing. I broke my gaze and clutched my books to my chest before hurrying off to my first class.

Hopefully, he understood my reason for walking away.

Later that day once I reluctantly dragged myself to English class, I observed something that left me confused. As Maya, Carlos and half of their clique sat in their usual back corner of the room, Sanchez had completely isolated himself from them. Instead, he sat in the far middle row… _studying_. He did not even speak to them from across the classroom.

What was going on between him and his friends? One week he was sitting and laughing with them, possibly thinking of new ways to torment me; and all of a sudden he'd decided not to exchange words with them. It soon became apparent that Sanchez had drawn battle lines between himself and the Superiors.

The venomous glares that Maya and Rosa shot him gave me an indication of his departure from the clique. In their rage I suffered as always, enduring nasty remarks about my looks and recalling my recent scandal. Bringing up the subject threatened to reduce me to tears, but I figured that crying would not solve anything. I had grown so used to the same old comments and humiliating schemes, I should have known better not to cry during a confrontation.

Brushing off the wave of nausea that swept over me, I merely scoffed and said, "Like I haven't heard that before."

"Whatever, bitch," Maya murmured, somewhat defeated that I did not care; and she turned back to her friends in silence.

My disregard must have worked. They did not say anything to me for the rest of the period. I knew that they were not going to remain quiet for long, but for the moment, I was satisfied. If only I could be satisfied with my appearance.

As much as I hated to admit it, Maya looked stunning wearing that red tunic-dress.

**~RMCR~**

The large crowds in the cafeteria never failed to intimidate me. While every student rushed to get the first freshest lunches, blowing past me as if I were invisible; I always felt as if I was being watched beneath a spotlight.

As petite as I was, I could easily maneuver through the growing queues. The problems arose whenever I had to actually speak to get past a group of chatty girls or a hulking male athlete. It was embarrassing—having to repeat "excuse me" because they could not hear my mousy voice the first three times. When that did not work, I had to tap them on the forearm (because I couldn't reach their shoulder) to get their attention.

Another aspect of the lunchtime that I hated with a passion was standing in line to receive my meal. I felt awkward amid the countless groups of friends talking and laughing with each other; while I stood out like a green apple among red apples… all by myself. It seemed as though everyone else had friends but me.

Occasionally, I would force my gaze upwards to an extra loud burst of laughter, and I wished that I could also laugh carelessly in front of all those people. Those did not seem to care about their appearance or how crazy they acted with their girlfriends.

My cousin Nayna was like that, and she was my only friend. Had she not lived in another state, she could have made my life at school much easier. Maybe then, I probably would have had somebody to sit with.

The line continued at its typically slow pace, which eventually had my stomach contracting in need of some nourishment. I glanced up at the menu for the second time. Cold and Hot Subs at school always made me gag, so I crossed them off my mental list. The popcorn chicken was either as hard as a rock or as rubbery as an eraser. As I read further, I came across my favorite snack: Nachos with a side of bubbling cheese. It was my obsession at lunchtime.

As the line surged forward, my excitement grew. At least there was one thing in school that gave me _some_ consolation.

Suddenly, a male voice amplified to a booming laugh behind me, alerting my senses to the burst of raunchy breath tickling the shell of my ear. A small group of boys (possibly seniors), who were not surrounding me a moment ago, began to inch closer to me. The muted gestures I identified through my peripheral vision gave me an inclination of what they were about to do.

As the line progressed further, their sneaky paces moved them even closer until they came to a delaying halt in front of me. Refusing to comply with their self-proclaimed rule of "Senior Privileges", I silently forced my way past the boys, which only seemed to amuse them.

Snorting out a combination of a scoff and a laugh, the dark-skinned soccer captain revealed to me, a voice that reminded me of my cousin on my father's side of the family.

Speaking with a heavy Jamaican accent he interjected, "Mi hope yuh nah mind likkle gyal, but all ah we di seniors. Now yuh 'ave a nice rass, but 'til we gahn yuh nah gettin' 'head ah mi."

For those who could not understand his seemingly foreign dialogue, here's what he said: "I hope you don't mind little girl, but we are seniors. Now you have a nice ass, but until we're out of here you're not getting ahead of me."

_Pervert_,I thought in disgust.

The boy shared my Jamaican nationality; or at least half. If only I had not grown up listening to my father speak with the exact same accent, I'd have gladly dismissed his "incomprehensible"—and rude—statement.

I was glad that I wasn't as feisty as my mother. Otherwise, I would have cursed at him in his native tongue. But my timidity sent me moving behind the three boys in dejection.

The line-cut deducted an extra few minutes to my lunch schedule. When I finally received my meal, I had only five minutes to eat. By that time I was angry. The trays of nachos had completely run out as a result of my setback. All that was left were the bread-bowls full of Clam Chowder. I had no choice.

After collecting my disposable utensils, I searched for an empty table in a dark, isolated corner. It was the usual dark, isolated corner I would use when I wanted to avoid getting my clothes stained with a cascade of mystery meat or spaghetti and meatballs. My desired table in my sights, I began to pace towards the far end of the cafeteria, gripping the precariously situated platter in my arms.

What suddenly ensued should have not come as a surprise. The very next moment my vision had completely blurred to a chunky white haze. My skin burned as the steaming bowl of soup came in contact with my face. An immediate swell of laughter from Maya's clique directed attention towards me. Then, the whole cafeteria erupted into laughter.

Clearly frustrated, I wiped the smelly clam chowder from my newly soiled clothing and stormed off in pursuit of the nearest exit, fearing the onset of tears.

"Hey, slut! How's _that_ for white stuff on your face?" I heard Lynn sneer with laughter, right before I slammed the doors behind me.

The gymnasium was my only means of immediate escape, and I made a beeline for the vacant girl's locker room, leaving my sticky handprint on the knob as I entered. Although the sight of towels brought a sigh of relief from my lips, the sheer coincidence that they had been left out of their shelves just about infuriated me.

"I'm fucking sick of this!" I screamed to absolutely no one, listening to my echo bounce off the walls.

I stripped down behind the concealment of the showers, and hastily scrubbed my face and hair until I was sure that the smell of seafood had completely faded from my natural scent. I did not have to scrub my entire body, but the steaming jets of water were the only source of comfort I could rely on.

Once I emerged dripping from the shower, I quickly slipped into my underwear and unsoiled jeans before I thought someone would catch me. Knowing that I had nothing to wear to obscure my low-cut bra, my frustration grew when I realized that my sweatshirt could not be washed. It was tossed into the trash barrel without any regrets.

"_Now_ what the hell am I going to wear?" I fumed to myself.

"Do you need help?" inquired a sudden female voice from around the corner, causing me to jump in place.

Clad in only my bra, I made a quick scramble for the towel and covered my chest.

The girl, someone whom I had never seen before, approached me while holding a gray sweatshirt in her hands.

"Are you okay?"

Her tone was gentle and motherly, expressing hints of concern as she spoke. Standing about six inches taller than me, the seemingly compassionate girl had straight shoulder-length black hair and large, brown eyes. She was very pretty. Her friendly gaze intimidated me, and I glanced down at the socks on my feet.

"Uh, y-yeah—I'm fine," I lied, fighting the urge to cry because someone had come to my rescue.

"Are you sure? I have a sweatshirt here if you want…" she said just as timidly.

She seemed trustworthy but I hesitated knowing that I was bound to get my feelings hurt again.

"No, that's okay. I don't need it—"

"Take it," she insisted softly, taking a step closer.

Having no choice but to accept the article, I took the sweatshirt and held it against my body. It soon became apparent that the oversized top did not belong to her because of its size, and its scent. My nose picked up traces of men's cologne as I slipped the sweatshirt over my head.

"This isn't yours…" I pointed out in case she didn't realize that the clothing belonged to a stranger.

"Yeah, I know… It's my friend's; he doesn't mind. You can return it tomorrow."

"T-thanks," I said, slightly taken aback that a random person wanted to save me any further humiliation by letting me borrow their sweatshirt.

"You're welcome," the girl smiled, and extended her palm towards me.

The gesture give the impression of a clichéd greeting, but I shook her hand.

"I'm Eva, by the way… This is only my second day here, so I nearly got lost on the way down here. My best friend already goes here, but she had to transfer gym classes to be with me."

"What gym period?" I questioned.

"Third."

I'd wanted to hold out hope that I would eventually gain a friend in gym class, but my hesitance threatened to build a wall between me and the girl.

"Me too," I said.

"Great! I start gym tomorrow, so… maybe I'll see you there?" she proposed, her voice rising with hope.

"Maybe…" I trailed off awkwardly.

After a long moment of uncomfortable silence dodging her intrigued gaze, Eva seemed to have read my mind.

"Does that happen all the time?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the emotional strain of having to explain my everyday trauma to someone I didn't know, caused my oncoming words to emerge in a sharp breath.

Sensing my anxiety, her gentle features quickly descended with sudden regret.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry if you don't like to talk about it," she apologized while placing an empathetic hand over her chest.

She continued her explanation when I remained silent.

"You seem very nice. I just want to know why those assholes would pick on you like that."

At a complete loss for words, I only shrugged. Her cheeks rose to another cheerful grin. If she were any less kindhearted, she could have been a cheerleader.

"I don't have any friends here, so… no one really pays attention to me until something like this happens," I explained in a hushed tenor.

The girl sent me a contemplative glance, a slight frown lingering on her lips. Then, she nodded her head with a knowing sigh.

"I didn't have any friends at _my_ old school. The treatment I got there was vicious."

I'd finally found someone at Philip Randolph high school who could relate to me. It was like she knew exactly what I had been going through. She knelt down to pick up my bag and placed it in my hands.

"… We can be friends," she suggested informally.

At that moment I didn't know what to say. I desperately wanted a friend, but I nearly rejected her knowing that she could become a target being with me. I would feel so terrible for doing that to her.

"Well, it's… kind of complicated. I don't know if I can—"

Our heads snapped upward to the clock on the wall as the lunch bell began to shrill through the intercom. Eva did not seem too dejected once I hurried to collect the last of my belongings. No sooner than that did her cheerful demeanor return.

"Look, I-I'm sorry, but I have to go. I don't want to be late for class," was my excuse.

"That's okay. See you later, I guess," she said sending a small, departing wave in my direction.

Aside from practically fleeing the optimistic company, I had to admit that the girl saved me, at least from going home without a proper top. I trusted that a friend was just what I needed to help me through high school, but as usual I had my concerns like: Would she stick around for long?

As I had declared beforehand, "While it lasted" continued to plague me with apprehension.

**~RMCR~**

**Sanchez**

When I arrived at Raquél's house, the sound of echoing giggles drew my attention towards the room at the beginning of the hallway. I turned the corner and found myself pausing in the doorway of the bathroom to watch an adorable sight. While her baby brother sat in the bathtub covered in bubbles, Raquél knelt on the floor holding a bath puppet in the air. She spoke in a cute, high-pitched voice as the baby splashed around in amusement.

"What animal is this, baby? Can you say 'ducky'?" she questioned with a playful gasp, tickling his chest with the cloth Duck.

He suddenly directed his attention towards me, and brought his hand from the water to point at me.

"Ducky!" he giggled again.

"Ducky? Behind me? Who are you…?"

Raquél glanced over her shoulder only to let out a short, startled gasp.

"Oh, hi. I-I didn't see you there," she stammered, then surged to her feet.

The puppet was tossed into the sink as the deepest hue of scarlet spread across her cheeks. Dark splotches of water sprinkled the gray sweatshirt she wore. I thought she looked cute drowning in the oversized clothing, which hung just above her knees. Evidently flustered by my presence, Raquél nearly tumbled headfirst into the water once she knelt down again to pluck her brother out of the bathtub.

"Sorry if I scared you," I apologized. "The front door was unlocked so I figured you knew that I was coming."

"Well, I did know that you were coming but I didn't expect you for another half-hour," she acknowledged while wrapping the baby in a towel.

Aside from what I witnessed in the cafeteria that afternoon, she did not seem to hold a lingering grudge for her misfortune. I followed her into the adjacent nursery and spoke to her back as she turned to dress her brother. In the corner of the room, her sister slept peacefully in a foldaway crib.

"If you're not ready yet, that's fine—I can leave and come back later…"

"No-no, you're already here, so you might as well stay. Just wait on the couch; I'll be there soon."

I retreated back to the living room and waited patiently. No more than a few moments later, Raquél emerged still wearing the giant sweatshirt. Behind her back, she dragged the same portable crib across the carpet while both siblings stood wide awake.

"I hope they don't distract you when we're studying. André woke her up with his fussing," she said.

"Oh, no I don't mind. I have a few baby cousins so I'm pretty much used to it."

Just then, the little girl let out a piercing shriek and took the pacifier out of her mouth and hurled it at my feet. She was immediately scolded with a light pat on the arm.

"A'sharía! No tire tu chupete. Es una mala cosa que hacer! I'm so sorry about that."

She also had a stimulating accent to match her gorgeous Hispanic features.

"Don't worry about it," I said, and got to my feet to pick up the pacifier.

After handing it back to Raquél, she began to help me with my English homework. Although I was now compelled to focus on getting my homework done, my curiosity got the better of me and my focus turned onto my crush.

"I saw what happened earlier… Are you okay?" I questioned, but was quickly afflicted with regret once her grip tightened around the pen she was holding.

She remained silent for a moment before placing down the implement with a tense sigh.

"Uh, yeah I guess. Your friends torture me pretty much every day so I'm used to it."

"My friends? What friends? I ditched them last week for what they did to you," I declared involuntarily.

The very moment I gasped at my slip-up, she glanced up at me with disbelieving green eyes.

"You what?"

"W-well, not you in particular… It-It's just that they pick on everyone else and I got sick of them."

"They may pick on everyone else, but it's _me_ that they want to torture to death," she said forlornly.

I knew I was playing with fire contemplating my next reply, but I had to confess to what I saw the other day if I wanted to find out more. I hoped that she would not end up screaming at me.

"Is that why you tried to commit suicide?"

There was no immediate response. Raquél's surprised features went blank, and she glanced down at her feet to avoid my eyes. She didn't yell or get upset.

After a moment of silence, she murmured, "I guess the scarf didn't work after all… When did you see?"

"The other day when you were helping me study. I knew that you tried to hang yourself because of the bruise on your neck. My cousin died doing the same thing, except you're alive. I'm… glad that you're okay."

Knowing that I had struck a nerve, I felt the urge to pull her into a hug, but my compassion would only distress her coming from a "former" Superior. Through the fallen curls that hung past her shoulders, she bent her head towards the floor and covered her face with her hands. I observed her in stillness as a single tear fell onto the carpet before sinking into its sutured wool. Guilt racked my conscience once she broke into quiet sobs.

Finally battling my own hesitance, I scooted beside her on the couch and placed my arm around her petite shoulders. Dejection soon penetrated my soul as she pushed me away in sudden outrage.

"Why don't you just mind your business? You should've just kept your mouth shut instead of blurting it out!" she yelled tearfully.

"Raquél, I'm sorry. I know that you might've gotten upset if I brought it up but I just wanted to know—"

"If you knew that I would get upset, why the hell did you bring it up in the first place?"

"I didn't intend to upset you. You need someone to talk to and I thought that I could help," I tried to defend my statement.

Raquél then made it clear to me that she wanted me out of her house once she slammed my textbook shut.

"You? Why would I want to talk to you? You're on their side—I shouldn't even trust you being in my house!"

"Now wait a minute, I'm sure as _hell_ not on their side! Especially not anymore. Why do you think I let my friend give you my sweatshirt to borrow? I didn't want you to spend the rest of the afternoon hiding in the bathroom. I only did that because I care," I said, which was a thought—for the second time—that I had intended to keep to myself.

Instead of pausing in her tirade to realize that I was her savior that day, she quickly peeled off my sweatshirt and tossed it at my feet. If she had not intimidated me before with her anger, it did now.

"Take your stupid shirt! I don't need it! You're popular; you're not supposed to care about me," she retaliated almost mechanically, as if months of torment had shaped her mentality to make her believe that "better-off" teens like me were not destined to treat others like humans.

There were so many things I wanted to tell her but was not bold enough to say. I wanted to tell her that I was not like the other Superiors; that it was okay for her to trust me instead of judging me about my status as a school athlete. Most of all, I wanted to tell Raquél that I could not keep her out of my thoughts since the day I laid eyes on her. Despite her assumptions that I was not supposed to care about her as a Superior, I truly did care.

"And what if I do care? Just because I used to hang out with that bastard Carlos, it doesn't mean that I'm just like him. Personally, I'd hate myself if I hurt you like he did."

Upon mention of the boy who left her brokenhearted, Raquél's anger boiled over. This had me feeling her wrath, as well as her brother and sister. The pair burst into tears, outwardly growing traumatized by her rage. The tiny tornado proceeded to kick my backpack into the foyer near the front door, then shoved my book into my chest.

"Don't you _ever_ talk to me about him again! You're only here to improve your grades in English; not stick your nose into my personal life. Get the hell out of my house if you're going to continue to bother me," she demanded, while pushing me over the threshold.

"Raquél, please. I just want to help—"

"I don't want your _help_; I want you out of my house!"

And with that, the door was slammed in my face. Instead of trying to convince her otherwise from the opposite side of the door, I decided that she needed to be alone, and left without looking back.

This was not supposed to happen. How could things have gotten from bad to good, then bad to worse between us?

Before I would end up losing her forever, I called my cousins to meet at my house, desperate to find out what I had done wrong. I knew that Eva could especially help me.

**~RMCR~**

"Are you crazy? Why in your right mind would you even mention that?" my cousin Felicia fathomed as she paced back and forth in my bedroom.

Being the typically large-and-in-charge person that she was, she scolded me for my previous mistake of my acknowledgement of my ex-Superior counterpart. Finding her partial attitude insensitive, Eva came to my defense and embraced me for comfort.

"Aww, don't listen to her, Quique. She's just being a big Meany!" she said, and stuck out her tongue at Felicia in a loud, exaggerated manner.

Even though Eva was not my cousin by blood or marriage, I first met her when I moved to New York and our friendship took off from there. Out of the three of us, she was the most compassionate and sensitive. Animal abuse and thoughtless abortions made her cry. Her soft-spoken demeanor and big brown eyes often got her what she wanted, but she was not one to take. She only liked to give. Felicia was just as caring and giving as Eva; the only difference being that she was not afraid to speak her mind. My uncle married her mother—a Dominican woman—when I was a child, and she had been living with her parents in New York way before I moved to the States.

"I think I have to agree with Licia, Eva. I'd yell at me too if I kept messing up around Raquél. She's so smart and beautiful; and it's killing me that I can't get through to her."

"If you want to stay on her good side, all you have to do is prove that you're a genuine guy no matter what she thinks. It's Carlos's fault, not your fault that she can't trust anyone anymore," she pointed out.

I made a wild gesture with my hands as if to draw attention to the obvious.

"Hello? I'm still trying to do that. She just puts a wall up and tells me that she doesn't need any help."

"Well, whatever you did to get on her good side the other day, keep doing it. And she _does_ need help, honey. It's just that she's afraid she'll get hurt if she starts to trust people again… Especially—"

"Especially me. I know, Eva," I sighed, and buried my head in my hands. "You should have seen what I saw the other day. That bruise on her neck? I actually cried. She tried to hang herself like Jorge did… I can't imagine what I would do if she was gone. The harassment shouldn't have gone this far—it's just ridiculous that she felt that it was okay to commit suicide because of those jerks."

The girls gasped in unison as if they were surprised that Raquél's harsh treatment would eventually lead to her attempt.

Felicia, who had witnessed the torment with her own eyes on many occasions, placed her hand over her chest in sympathy.

"Oh my God, I had no idea. Before I just thought that they would eventually stop, but people like Maya don't stop until they end up with a death on their hands. I'm Vice President to Student Council… Why didn't I fight this before?" she expressed guiltily.

"Because it's not your job to fight it; that's the principal's job. These things happen right in front of him and the idiot just sits there!" Eva joined in with her unusually cheerful anger.

"We _all_ should be angry. I'm in the middle of a fight myself. I finally confronted Maya about it but it's just gotten worse. If only Raquél knew that I would fight for her… That's all the proof I need to show her that I care."

"Hey, I care too!" Felicia said while slapping me on the arm. "Maybe Eva and I can help you. I'm more than welcome to let her into our little group. For one thing, we're actually nice."

To tell the truth, my cousins _were _two of the nicest girls I had ever met. Aside from their willingness to endure criticism for coming to Raquél's defense, they also shared my interest in her secreted personality. Just like me, they wanted to make sure that she didn't feel like she was outside looking in.

She did not know it yet, but help was on the way, whether she wanted it or not.

**I thought this chapter was cute! What did you think of Sanchez's cousins? If you're interested in how they look, simply go to my PROFILE for their pics (but I still won't show you Sanchez for a while). What I have planned will set the stage for the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Raquél and the girls, and as for her insecurities… there is much work left to be done. But with the help that is coming, she will really come out of her shell. I really need the feedback! Some reviews would be nice! **

**-PasiondeZV**


	11. Breaking Down The Wall

**I have nothing to explain my lateness other than to say I've been busy with History and English projects. Despite my worry I did my best to get this typed as quickly as possible. SPOILER ALERT: A certain someone will start to realize her feelings for Sanchez. But as usual I will leave you with drama and mystery. Enjoy and REVIEW!**

**Chapter 11: Breaking Down The Wall**

**Raquél **

I did not care for the past week. Despite my unfortunate luck with my school bullies, I decided to roll with the punches. The first three days had gone by like any other day: school, home, tutoring; bed. At the same time I'd begun to take a deeper interest in Sanchez, while his cousin Eva, the girl I met, persisted in trying to get to know me.

She was a very nice girl, and I hated to be rude and ignore her. Now that she and her friend were in my gym class, there was no chance for me to escape. I knew that girl, Felicia.

Apart from being a main target for the Superiors, she was Maya's enemy way before she turned her odium on me. The conflict between them had started in their freshman year after Felicia confronted Maya for luring her boyfriend away from her.

She only retaliated by sneering: "Well, if you weren't such a controlling bitch he probably would've left you. It's not my fault that he came to me."

And so, the gloves came off. Maya must have been overly confident that she could easily beat her into the ground; but once Felicia was finished with her, she walked away feeling more pain than confidence. In a matter of minutes Maya had sustained a fractured wrist, a broken nose and a bruised ego.

Or, so I heard…

Out of the hundreds of students she'd victimized over the course of nearly three years, only one had the courage to stand up to her. _And_ she had won. To me she was considered as a heroine. I could never stand up to Maya like that.

Even as I observed the repressed tension between them that afternoon in gym, I could see the intimidation in Maya's eyes. Truthfully, I had to bite back a grin a few times. Felicia and Eva were very sincere girls; talking to me during class when I stood by myself. They always seemed to question me about my tutoring sessions with Sanchez, which made me think about the connections we sometimes shared in the late afternoons.

Soon, I found myself smiling on impulse in his presence. It was like a compulsive action that would be triggered by his eyes and his crooked grin. The dimples in his cheeks were undeniably adorable; and a spark seemed to twinkle in his brown eyes whenever he looked at me. I began to notice how close he sat to me while we studied; his fingers twitching near mine. My peripheral viewpoint often caught him staring at me for minutes on end.

Perhaps it was just my imagination. I hated to think that I was starting to fall quickly for somebody after getting my heart broken by a heartless jerk. Sometimes I yelled at Sanchez when I sensed that he was trying to find a way to get through the wall I put up. At that moment, I didn't want anyone in. When I fell for Carlos, he didn't catch me. And what if _he _let me fall as well?

Aside from my suspicions, I began to suggest tutoring lessons for any other subject in school that he needed help with. Using my knowledge of AP Trigonometry, I gladly walked him through homework assignments… Just to keep him in my company a little longer.

That Thursday once I'd arrived at my complex, he was already waiting in the lobby, texting on his phone. Once he brought his gaze up to me, my heart picked up speed as his lips curved into a welcoming grin. _That _grin.

"You're here early. Did you take your car?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, getting to his feet.

Sanchez was a football athlete, so naturally he was very tall—about 6'2", with a large muscle mass. Beside him I looked like a little girl, standing about as tall as the middle of his torso. He had hands that were large enough to suffocate me with ease, but violence was not his nature, even though his sport had plenty of it.

Chivalrously, he offered to push my brother and sister in their strollers as we rode the elevator.

"No, that-that's okay," I bashfully declined, turning my glance away to hide my sudden blush.

We got settled into the living room at about 4:15, and no sooner than that did he begin to ask questions irrelevant to the lesson. But I didn't mind knowing that he had taken an interest in me. My responses were not as short and awkward as they would've been if I were talking to someone else. The words seemed to flow easily between us; which made me a little more comfortable when he asked me if I liked to dance.

"Sometimes… but I'm not that good," I said.

"I'm sure that you're a pretty good dancer. You're Latina… you must know how to dance _Bachata_, right?"

It was true. I was an excellent Bachata dancer, but I never danced in front of anyone else but my mother. On those nights when she was in a good enough mood to blast Spanish music through the speakers, she was often my dance partner.

I sensed what was on his mind the moment he shut his textbook. Anxiety suddenly rattled my confidence as Sanchez strode towards the radio beside the television.

"Come on. Let's dance," he insisted with a playful grin.

Mortified, I continued on with my excuses of not being able to dance.

"I-I don't think you would want to dance with me. I've got two left feet. A-and you're too tall—it's not going to work…" I stammered.

Refusing to take "no" for an answer, Sanchez placed one of my mother's _Aventura_ CDs into the stereo and pushed the play button. One of my favorite songs began to blare through the speakers, which had me fighting the urge to dance.

"Do you like this song?" he asked me.

"_Por un Segundo_? I guess…"

That same crooked grin caused my knees to tremble as he approached me, extending his hand in invitation.

"Then dance with me. I like this song too."

Once we joined hands, I found that my tiny palm fit perfectly in the middle of his. His towering build nearly directed my gaze toward the ceiling, which was enough to intimidate me as I felt his opposite hand rest beneath the pit of my arm. Unable to reach my waist, our awkward position had him halfway bent over me.

Sanchez carefully guided my stiff frame across the floor, occasionally casting down a smiling glance at me. Meanwhile, my insecurities threatened to consume me. I kept my eyes to the floor, growing uncomfortable by his close proximity. And knowing that we were dancing to a love song didn't seem to alleviate the fierce knocking behind my ribs.

"You're a great dancer, but you need to loosen your arms a little. Relax, Raquél," he tried to encourage me; but all I could focus on was the indescribable sensation that brewed in the pit of my stomach. Where my hand rest on his lower back, the tips of my fingers stung as a muscle would ripple in response to his every maneuver.

_Damn hormones_, I cursed mentally.

Our feet continued to step in rhythm with the music, but soon enough I sensed that Sanchez wanted to get closer. The moment I realized that his palm had wandered down to the small of my back, I'd had enough. His arms fell dejectedly to his side as I backed out of his grip, then made a start for the stereo.

"Why'd you turn it off?" he questioned.

"We're supposed to be doing homework; not dancing right now… I'm sorry. I-I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not really comfortable dancing with someone I don't know."

The disappointment in his eyes was evident, which immediately racked me with guilt.

"Oh. Well… that's okay. I understand," he murmured, his jaw tightening.

The sudden silence between us was not as awkward as it was tense. Sanchez made his way back to the coffee table in the living room, where he began to put away his books. There soon came an overwhelming urge to keep him in my company. I wanted him to stay with me.

"Uh, my parents will be expecting me home soon, so I think I should start heading out. You know, since all we do is study… I just thought that it would've been fun to share something we had in common," Sanchez replied, that unmistakable sting of impatience causing me to flinch.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I was just saying that—"

"No-no, I totally understand. I mean, why would you want to dance with someone who's ignored you in the past?"

Ignoring me was the best things he could have done. Besides the fact that many times I'd needed someone to confide in during school, it was better to remain neither seen nor heard rather than being an open target.

Just when I thought that I'd be left feeling the chill of a cold shoulder, Sanchez spun around in the doorway, and directed my gaze back to the living room with a pointed finger.

"For a second back there, I thought I was starting to see the real you. But it's obvious that you want to hide your feelings from me since you probably think that I can't be trusted. If you knew the real _me_, you'd know that I'm not like the others…" he stated mysteriously, treading backwards into the corridor as if he were an angel fading into a heavenly abyss.

Later, I confided in my diary, desperate to uncover the perplexing—and alarming—emotions I felt for Sanchez.

_Why did my heart have to beat so fast around him? Why did my fingers tingle whenever they came in contact with his? Why DID I want him to stay when he decided to leave? This is all too familiar, except I've never experienced sparks before. They were the kind of sparks that someone would describe in a romance novel, or in the movies when a guy and girl jumped apart if their hands happened to brush together. _

_I sure feel as though I _am_ in a movie… a scary movie. If I could describe the look in his eyes after I told him the truth… disappointment, rejection—it was hard to tell. But I'm starting to think that Sanchez is more interested in me than he is in improving his grades. I know that he wants to get close to me, but I can't bring myself to open up to him; not without knowing what his true motives are. He knows that I'm hiding my real feelings behind that wall. It's the wall that I've wanted to knock down since I was a little girl. The one that's been constantly keeping out trust, emotion and promises. _

_But it's too soon to trust again. I flat-out refuse to risk getting hurt again by a boy; even if it means that I'll end up hurting others in the process…_

While my baby siblings slept off their previously wanted meals, I patiently awaited the typical midevening arrival of my mother and sisters, mechanically succumbing to the almost brainwashing advertisements on the television.

Another _Victoria's Secret _commercial… just the thing I needed to remind me of the beauty that I could never compete with. I hated Miranda Kerr and those other curvy models for rubbing it in my face. Unknowingly, my mother did the same thing to me every day.

The murmuring vibrations the coffee table made alerted me that my mother would arrive at any moment.

I unlocked the phone and my suspicions quickly became roused once I received an unorthodox text from her: _Your sisters will be sleeping Tia's house for the night. I can't fight this any longer…_

Soon after she arrived I'd gone hysterical in my state of panic, wondering if she had found out about Carlos.

The front door swung open, and in rushed my mother, not angry, not ready to enforce a punishment; but with one hand over her heaving chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Her arms haphazardly branched out to me, locking around my midsection. In the time it took for me to register what was happening, my mother had collapsed to the floor.

"Why did you do this to me, Raquél? Why?" she cried at my feet.

My knees buckled under the weight of her cling, and I found myself holding her head in my lap.

"Mami, w-what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I was almost afraid to look into her eyes, as they were bloodshot and heavy with grief.

"You know what you did! Don't you try to act like I don't know! Why, honey? Why?"

"I-I don't understand. Wha-what did I do?" I questioned dumbly.

Without warning, she staggered to her feet and reached for her purse a few feet away. Her hands trembled as she made a frantic gouge into the pocket of the bag, and began to scatter fistfuls of shredded paper over the carpet.

My heart stopped.

"This! All of this! What were you thinking?" my mother just about screamed, her feet kicking at the destroyed suicide letter I'd written.

The healing bruise beneath the collar of my turtleneck started to burn.

"_Suicide?_ Did you think that killing yourself was going to solve anything? I put the note together and read it… And what did you mean by 'you've found me dead?'"

The deep scarlet tinting her cheeks quickly faded once she came to the conclusion herself. Her pale face raw with emotion, she fearfully gripped me by the shoulders, which had me fighting off the burning lump in my throat. The sudden onslaught of emotions had started to become unbearable.

"Please… this is too much for me to handle. Tell me you didn't…?"

The lump caught, and instead of producing a voice, I retreated back with a sob. My mother had to know the truth. I thought that she would end up hurting me if I continued to keep my attempt a secret.

"Tell me!" she demanded hysterically, while shaking me.

"Stop it, Mom! Just stop it! I tried to hang myself, okay? Everything has just been getting worse for me because no one understands me. Especially you!"

Stunned, my mother took a step backwards and pointed a menacing finger at my face.

"I don't know why the hell you would assume that I don't understand you! You didn't see me at your age; pregnant and scared for the future—"

"There you go! Talking about yourself like you had the toughest life ever… I'm talking about me, _Gabriella_; not you! You don't know what I've been through!" I exclaimed tearfully, taking a hesitant yet courageous step towards my mother.

Although I flinched as her palm swiftly rose in the air. But to my relief, she caught herself and stopped before hitting me.

"And having to give up _my_ childhood for a baby wasn't tough? I felt so ashamed knowing that my parents were strict Catholics, expecting me to get married before having sex. Do you even know what my punishment was for getting pregnant? They made me stand in front of the congregation and announce that I'd lost my virginity and that I was pregnant. I felt so degraded! Soon, everyone at school started calling me a slut or a whore. They spread rumors that I slept with every guy in the school… they treated me like dirt! And the bullying didn't stop there. Before I started to show they'd throw food at me, spit at me; hit me. I couldn't take the abuse anymore, so I attempted what I thought would solve everything: I tried to jump off a 40 foot bridge during a storm. You were almost never born. I was cold and wet and scared—I had no one else to depend on. All they did was hurt me and break promises… I know it's not fair Raquél; but sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before getting to your feet again."

The haunting images that formerly appeared in my thoughts the very moment I tried to hang myself flashed before my eyes. I imagined my fourteen-year-old mother standing above the crashing waves of water, caressing my fetal presence with the palm of her hand; terrified and unsure. I never knew how much my mother related to me until that evening.

She woefully turned her back to me in a manner that was similar to the way I did when I felt insecure.

"You don't know how much it hurts me when you say that I don't care about you," she murmured over her sinking shoulders.

Her statement inflicted a painful wound in my heart, and as she kept her back to me, I began to realize how my mother felt when I built a wall between us.

"I'm sorry, Mami… You're right; I don't. I'm sorry for yelling at you and telling you that you don't understand. I-I guess I thought that I was the only one suffering like this," I apologized, desperate to be in her arms.

A fresh round of tears spilled out from my eyes as I reached out to touch my mother; but she made it perfectly clear that she didn't want to talk to me, by walking away.

"M-mom… please don't do this. I said I was sorry."

There was no reply. Instead, she made a beeline for her bedroom. I was devastated.

"Mami!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Finally, she spun around to face me, slightly lifting her arms in frustration.

"What?"

"¿Me amas? Do you love me, Mami?"

My mother took a shocked step backwards, a quiet gasp parting her lips.

"Do I what?" she whispered.

"Do you love me?" I repeated, more demanding than inquisitive.

But I did not receive me answer in the form of words. At a full pace she approached me, and crashed into me with a passionate embrace. The emotion swept me off my feet, causing me to break down in her arms. My mother and I dissolved to the floor, and soon she began to brush my face with kisses.

"I love you, Raquél. I love you with all my heart. To me you're like the best friend I can talk to when I have a problem, or the little sister I never had. But most of all, you're the daughter I've always wanted. You're a beautiful, strong girl and I feel so blessed to have you in my life… I love you," she declared through tears of joy.

"I love you, Mami—so much. If you didn't care as much as you did, I don't know what I would've done."

Our foreheads pressed together, she smiled and caressed my face between her palms.

"I'm so happy you're okay, Angel. I could never imagine my life without you," she said to me, sweeping away the lingering remnants of my pain.

We didn't know what time it was or how long we'd been locked in each other's embraces. Knowing that I was never alone in my struggle to uncover the meaning of my existence overwhelmed me with an enlightening sense of peace. Coming to an understanding with my mother was the first of many things I'd planned to use in my mission to destroy The Wall.

That evening when the first crack appeared, I was brought closer to opening up to anyone who was willing to accept me for who I was. If only I could steer clear of the people who did just about anything to watch me succumb to defeat.

Tomorrow, I was going to tell her everything… The real reason I tried to end my life.

**~RMCR~**

**Gabriella**

As Troy and I crawled to a stop in front of the high school, we exchanged quick pecks once I promised that I would be back with Raquél. He ventured off towards the daycare center to pick up the babies while I approached the steps of the building.

Knowing that my daughter's gym class was the last period of the day, my mind was set on earning her an early dismissal. Since we made up the night before I could already sense that she was eager to tell my anything that was on her mind. That morning she told me that she wanted to be alone with me to talk.

"We need to talk." The way the word rolled off her tongue was foreign to me; only because I had never recalled her wanting to talk to me in the past.

In the near-deserted corridor I roamed, I shot daggers toward a young male student who invasively scanned my body with his eyes. After making a quick trip to the main office to retrieve a dismissal note, I made my way to the entrance of the gymnasium. From the glass windows in the door I could spot a cluster of racing figures after a football; but no sign of Raquél.

Only when I tried to pry open the double doors did I realize that they were locked. My second option was the side door on the opposite side of the corridor, which led to the corner row of bleachers. I began to slip through the doors when a sudden eruption of laughter forced me to retreat behind the bleachers.

"…God, I still can't get over what she did. She is so freaking gullible!" a voice chirped.

"She's not gullible, she's a slut; anything to get laid. Why do you think she tried to avoid him when she came back?"

Almost on impulse, my fingers coiled into a fist once I recognized the voice. It belonged to Maya; the skinny junior who lived to humiliate my daughter. She and her friends sat at the very top row, gossiping and laughing as usual. As much as I wanted to deny that they were referring to Raquél, I knew that they intended to bash her with insults. My only ponder was… _him_?

Hoping to avoid being seen, I ducked to the floor, straining my ears to find out more.

"I know, right? Only a slut like Raquél would let a guy shag her and ditch him the next day. Oh, shit! And I totally caught them behind the bleachers!" another girl exclaimed.

A gasp cut through my lips like a blade, only to be silenced by my palm.

_My_ Raquél? That only meant that she had lost her virginity at 14… Just like I had.

"Fuck! Why didn't I take a picture? Now, that shit would've been all over the internet by now!"

Refusing to believe the possibly fabricated claims against my daughter, I finally spotted Raquél. She sat reading a book while listening to her i-Pod. I had suspected that she must have been deaf to Maya's gossip; but my fears were quickly confirmed as my gaze followed the tear that slid down her cheek.

"…Oh, yeah, Carlos_ did_ tell me about that! You know, how he took off the condom before they were finished, right? He said that she couldn't see when he had her on all fours."

Another burst of anger even broadened my building infuriation.

"Oh, God; as if we need another one of _her_."

"Just you wait—I bet the little skank'll be walking around here looking like a whale in no time. I told you guys she was a whore like her mother," Maya sneered.

I didn't know what to think. What was I supposed to feel? Anger, disappointment, betrayal… one emotion stood out above the rest.

My blood began to boil, and it took all of my might to restrain myself from marching up the bleachers and choking Maya to death. Instead, I stood up from my hiding place, took a deep breath and casually sauntered towards my daughter.

"Chica," I called to Raquél.

Her shoulders grew stiff, and in an attempt to diminish all evidence of her tears, she hastily wiped a sleeve across her eyes. The she turned around to welcome me with a forced smile. She couldn't fool me no matter how hard she tried.

"Mami! Wh-what are you doing here?"

The dark green flecks of anxiety in her eyes shifted my gaze towards the group of girls that watched from above.

"I came to pick you up. Troy's outside waiting for you," I replied almost indifferently.

"W-well, you… you guys didn't have to come _so_ early. I mean there's, like, a whole half-hour left of class," she stammered, apparently flustered by my sudden presence.

In the corner stood another row of abandoned bleachers, which brought a wave of nausea over my head. The urge to break out into screams of outrage began to test my composure. With a pace of apprehension in her steps, my daughter collected her belongings as I folded my arms across my chest, tapping my foot to release the plaguing hints of ire.

As an almost regular visitor at the school, her gym teacher called a friendly greeting across the court, which brought the entire class to a standstill. The football fell to the floor while the sweat-drenched boys froze in their tracks. Unaware of my relationship with Raquél, they gaped at me as if I were an older sister of hers. I studied each hormonal expression with suspicion, hoping to identify this "Carlos."

Before I was even sure that my daughter had gathered all her things, I ordered her to finish, then hauled her away by the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"¡Apúrate! Estás tomando demasiado largo." I snapped, my anger threatening to boil over.

Raquél responded by jerking her arms away in exasperation.

"Okay, okay, Mami! I'm coming!"

As if I was not enough on edge to begin with, I spun around and found myself face-to-face with Maya and her equally deceiving friends.

"Why, hello Mrs. Richmond! It's such a surprise to see you here," she said sweetly, a manipulative grin playing on her lips.

"I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Maya. I'm sure Raquél has already mentioned all the wonderful things we've done for her."

Behind my back I felt my daughter's grip on my arm, giving it a tug to indicate that she wanted to leave immediately. She _had_ mentioned her to me, usually crying to me what Maya had done to torment her… They were anything _but_ wonderful. But I pretended for her sake.

"No, she hasn't. Just in case, I'd rather talk to someone who doesn't lie right to my face. But I know that you would _never _tell a lie since you seem like such a wonderful girl," I retorted sardonically; which seemed to pass over everyone's heads except for Maya's.

We quickly became engrossed in a silent battle, glaring into one another's eyes as if we read every mental insult that was thrown back and forth. A thin line of enmity cut across her lips as her gaze criticized me from head to toe; shifting and blinking with every repressed emotion. I concluded that the stifling tension could be reduced with a soaring fist, but I was supposed to be the adult and prove that I could defend my daughter without any means of physical retaliation.

After what seemed like an entire minute, her lips puckered into that same deceptive smile, and Maya cocked one eyebrow in derisive acknowledgement.

"Well… it was nice meeting you, Mrs. Richmond. I'd love to stay and chat, but I can see that Raquél isn't feeling too well," she crooned in mock sympathy to my daughter, who'd fixated a self-conscious glance on her feet.

I wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders to guide her away from the tormentors, when Maya gutlessly called to my back: "Have you ever considered taking her to a doctor? I mean, you never know what you'll find out after a few tests. It just might surprise you… or not."

The primal instinct to spring onto the girl and rip out her hair extensions nearly conquered my emotions, but I keeping my temper under control, I merely turned back to outwit her attempt to get under my skin.

"By the way, that's _Ms. Montez_ to you… Obviously, you would know that since you're Miss 'Gossip Queen,'" I sneered.

Without looking back I guided Raquél out of the gymnasium remembering my real reason for rushing her out of the class. Sensing my angst, she pulled me back to face her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Mami? Don't just barge in like that and drag me out of class!" she exclaimed.

"We'll talk when we get home. This is not a matter that I want to discuss in public… Hurry up; Troy's waiting outside."

"But Mami—"

"Enough, Raquél! Don't talk; listen: I am_ your_ mother. You do what I say, when I say it, and as of now you are to keep quiet until we get home. Is that understood?" I stated firmly, emphasizing my authority as I thrust my finger into her chest.

Raquél dismally dropped her gaze to avoid the onset of tears, and then nodded in compliance.

"Yes, Mami," she whispered.

"Good... Come on, baby."

My daughter and I continued to the front doors of the building, but whipped our head around to the sound of a high-pitched call.

"Wait!" the frantic voice squealed, followed by the thump of sneakers.

Rushing towards us was a pair of girls from the class. Raquél let out a gasp upon realizing that one of the girls held her cell phone.

"Hey, we found this on the floor by the bleachers. You almost left it back there."

"Oh, God, thank you so much. I'm glad no one noticed it."

The shorter girl, a cheerful brunette, panted a laugh as she faintly waved her hand.

"Don't thank me; my cousin saw when you dropped it. He was the one who got it before anyone tried to steal it," she said.

I found my daughter fighting to contain a grin.

"Oh, well tell _him_ that I said thank you, then."

"Yeah, that's Quique… He talks about you a lot," she blurted aloud.

Immediately, the girl's eyes grew wide with realization and she clapped her palm over her mouth to cover a gasp. Meanwhile I bit back a giggle. The other girl stepped forward to hand my daughter the phone, whose cheeks had darkened to scarlet.

"Anyway, we just wanted to make sure that you got your phone back. I guess we'll see you tomorrow or…?"

"Y-yeah. But tell him that I won't be able to tutor later," Raquél said to the girls.

They sent us friendly waves before strolling back down the corridor.

"Okay, we will. Bye, Raquél!"

Forgetting my vexation for the moment, I turned to my daughter, impressed by her improved ability to interact.

"They were very nice, don't you think?" I questioned.

"That's Felicia and Eva… Eva just moved here last week and she's been trying to talk to me ever since."

"Oh, really? Maybe she wants to become friends with you."

"They both do," she corrected, but with a strain of apprehension in her voice. "But I don't know. I'm kind of hesitant when it comes to trusting people."

I hugged her closer to my side as we stepped out into the winter chill.

"Well, sometimes you have to just take risks if you want to know if a person is truly interested in you for you. Sure, you might get your feelings hurt once in a while, but it's all a learning experience. I doubt that someone would try to hurt you because they like something other than your personality," I encouraged her.

Nonetheless, I could not help but wonder what had really happened between my daughter and the boy who was assumed to have stolen her innocence.

**I can't wait to post the next chapter and hopefully my hard work will have paid off. I'll post as soon as I can… Your feedback keeps me going! :)**


	12. Acceptance

**Thank you to the few reviewers who read the last chapter. I hope to get a little more reviews than last time and lots of feedback would be very encouraging. Please pardon my late posting but enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: Acceptance**

**Raquél **

_This is bad—this is so bad! Oh my God, she knows! She knows!_ rambled my thoughts as my mother and I approached Troy's car.

Despite my efforts to keep evidence of my sexual encounter a well-hidden secret, it was inevitable that she would find out about my stolen innocence. If evidence of my attempted suicide was not enough to arouse her suspicions, my sudden request to use tampons the other night certainly tipped her off. After nearly two weeks of fear and uncertainty, I was glad to have my period.

What was I going to do? What explanation could I possibly conjure up to reduce the definite life sentence that I had yet to serve under her roof? In the back of my mind I was convinced that I was going to receive a punishment worse than a grounding. I felt like a criminal for committing the ultimate crime of her trust.

A crippling chill forced my paces quicker once I felt her fingers curl around the base of my neck from behind; its vice-like reminding me of a pair of cuffs in which I could not escape.

Then in a low, dangerous voice she ordered, "In the car… now."

Intimidation shrunk me into the backseat of the SUV, where my brother and sister sat asleep in their car seats. Her lips instinctively curved into a grin once she came face-to-face with Troy. Their lips met in a chaste peck before he cast a glance over his shoulder.

"Hey there, Raquél. How was school?"

Since I still had not gotten used to the foreign idea of my mother's boyfriend, answering to him continued to make me feel awkward.

"I-I'm okay," I replied meekly.

In response he only chuckled, gave me a pat on the hand and turned back to my mother. Besides knowing nothing about this man who seemingly cared about me and my siblings, at least I could rely on the fact that someone bothered to show compassion. At the moment, my mother had no compassion for me.

**~RMCR~**

Whenever my mother wanted to speak to me and only me about a serious matter, she would send my sisters to stay at my Aunt's house for the night. There was no question that I would spend the rest of my evening listening to her screaming at me from the couch. By that time, Troy had sped out of sight from the parking lot, my green irises burned with fearful tears. But instead of sympathizing with me, she huffed at my anxiety as I miserably plodded behind her.

"I can't believe you… And after all I've done," she muttered, while hastily twisting her keys into the bolt of the door.

As if I had not already felt worse than before, my mother pinched the sleeve of my jacket between her fingers and forcefully guided me over the threshold. I kept my distance, brushing away my tears behind her back. Before she could turn to me with a menacing glance, I rushed into the family room and took my place on the couch. She began her statement by throwing up both arms in incredulity.

"What can I say? All I know is that I overheard Maya talking about you having sex with some boy at school. Now, I am not fully sure if it was true or not, but it's starting to look like they knew what they were talking about. Would you care to explain?"

My chest grew heavy beneath the pressure of her stony gaze; and instead of defending my actions, I broke into heaving sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Mami! Please don't be upset with me; I get scared when you're angry! I-I didn't mean to…"

She raised her palm outwards as if to stop an oncoming tirade in its tracks.

"Okay, before I end up overreacting, just tell me how this all started and I'll… try not to get angry," she calmly proposed.

Supporting up my chin on the heel of my palm, I nervously contemplated how I would explain the deception that led me to blind romance then heartbreak. Hopefully, she would then understand why I tried to commit suicide.

"Well… do you remember that morning a few weeks ago, when I decided to wear those new clothes? Um, once I got to school, this guy named Carlos started to talk to me. He usually hangs out with Maya, so I was skeptical when he told me that I was beautiful. Anyway instead of backing up Maya when she started to tease me, he stood up for me and he said that he liked me. So we started going out for a couple of days, but that turned into two weeks then three weeks. Even though I wasn't really sure if this was going to get serious, I almost started to trust him."

As my explanation began to grow much clearer to my mother, she took a seat beside me and grasped my hand to lend support.

"So, what happened?"

"On Wednesday of the third week, we were just walking to our lockers and talking because he didn't have basketball practice that afternoon. But then he started to lead me towards the gym. Since it was after school and no one was around, of course I was scared. H-he just started kissing me and telling me that I was the only girl for him. He wanted to have sex and I wasn't ready for it—"

"Wait a minute... did he force you?" she questioned. "Because if he did—"

"No, no… he never forced me into anything. I came to a decision myself. It's just that being with Carlos made me feel like someone cared about me. It was kind of like a 'now or never' type of thing; I thought that if I didn't lose my virginity _then_ that, I'd never have the chance to experience it… s-so we ended up having sex behind the bleachers. I didn't think that there was anything wrong with that, but as soon as it was over with I immediately felt guilty. Mostly because I lied to you about being at the library," I confessed, bracing myself for another surge of tears.

The resurfacing pain from that moment triggered a second bout of excruciating sobs from my chest. My mother compassionately guided my head into the crook of her neck, pressing gentle kisses to my forehead.

"And the worst part is, it didn't take that much longer to realize that he'd taken advantage of me," I whimpered, hiding my face between my palms in shame. "I was so stupid to think that he actually cared about me. Why would he care anyway? Carlos and Maya make my life a living hell, basically! And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse… on Friday he finally told me that it was all part of a bet to get $300 if he could convince me to have sex with him."

"No, no, you're not stupid at all. That bastard played with your emotions when he knew that you already had enough to deal with as it is… It's not your fault, baby," she encouraged silently.

"Y-yeah, I know. But then he decided to kick me while I was down and tell me that I was a good lay and sex was all I was ever good for. When that wasn't enough, Maya told me to drop dead. They were so cruel. So that was it for me… if no one liked me anyway, then it was probably best not to bother them. That was why I tried to kill myself."

By the end of my emotional confession, my mother had been reduced to tears.

"Oh, baby…" she breathed in astonishment. "I-I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me as soon as it happened?"

"Because you have enough weight on your shoulders as it is. I didn't want to be another burden; I didn't want you to think that my suicide attempt was something to make you feel guilty. I just overreacted, I guess," I concluded, blinking back the fresh stream of tears before they could fall.

My mother lifted my chin in encouragement, directing my gaze into hers.

"No. You're never a burden to me, Raquél; you didn't overreact. What they did to you was undignified and heartless… I mean, how someone could tell you to drop dead—that's terrible!"

"But the things they said were the things that hurt me the most. As if I wasn't already aware that I was unattractive, Carlos just… he killed any ounce of dignity I had left. I-I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore," I sighed aloud.

"Unattractive? Raquél, you're far from anything those kids tell you. You're beautiful; very beautiful! And you shouldn't let those comments get to you, especially if you know that they're not true… Your sisters—they look up to you as a role model. They tell me that they want to be brave and smart like you. There is absolutely _nothing_ unattractive about you. You should have faith in yourself."

Casting a downward grimace at my feet, I apprehensively shrugged my shoulders as she caressed my face in her hands.

"How can they think that I'm a role model? I'm not confident, I don't have any friends, and I nearly ended up pregnant. I'm not, by the way; which was why I asked you for tampons the other day," I added quickly, hoping to ease the paling color in her cheeks.

My mother wrapped her arms around me, and rubbed my back in slow circles.

"Thank God. I could never imagine how broken you might've been to find out that you were carrying the child of a bully… Tell you what: let's go to the bathroom. I have an idea."

Before knowing what my mother had planned to do, I obediently followed her into the bathroom. I was caught off guard when she spun me around to face the full-length mirror. I almost did not want to look at the reflection glancing back at me; but as I slowly locked my gaze I realized that there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Okay, disregard that I spent my afternoon watching the _Tyra Show_, but I remember her giving a guest a challenge that I think might work, only if you're willing to try it," my mother proposed over my shoulder.

"What is it?"

"Well, since you feel that you're not entirely comfortable in your own skin, I want you to look in the mirror every day, whether it's in the morning or the evening, and find one feature about yourself that you think is beautiful. It can be anything from your lips to your legs; not only the physical aspects but personality wise. With each day, you add a different feature every day until you've covered all the things you love about yourself. Just as long as you learn to love yourself and you can proudly say, 'I'm beautiful.'"

"Um, o-okay," I stammered unsure what to fathom of this new and daunting challenge.

She gently guided my face closer to the mirror, resting both hands on my shoulders.

"Why don't we start today? Look at yourself… What do you see that you like about yourself?" she questioned.

Focusing my eyes toward the reflection in the mirror, I scanned every inch of my features with a cringe of uncertainty. Finding nothing attractive about my short, muscular legs, wide hips and unusually small waist, I searched my face instead.

"I… I like my eyes," I murmured.

The corners of my mouth curved into a slight grin as my mother tucked a stray curl behind my ear.

"Why?"

"Because—I don't know… They're different, and not much people have green eyes; especially emerald-colored," I replied.

"You _do_ have beautiful eyes, sweetie. And do you know what else I think is beautiful about you? Your smile and your personality just lights the room up when you laugh… you have that adorable squeak just like me. I'd love to see you smile more. Also, you have amazing curls that reach all the way down your back. You not only have beautiful aspects on the outside, but on the inside, too," she pointed out.

_What? Besides being a total nerd?_ I nearly scowled.

"I'm so proud to know that you've inherited my thirst for knowledge and made so many special achievements out of it. And you have a big heart for such a petite girl… putting yourself before others when only you deserve to be put first. Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No, not really," I said as I bit my bottom lip, fighting off hints of optimism. I hated to think that she was right.

"I would like you to repeat this method tomorrow like I instructed you, okay? Just be aware that until you get through this challenge, you won't feel the changes within yourself unless you admit to yourself that you are confident and beautiful. Not in your head, but aloud. And when you're ready, hold your head up high and say, 'I'm beautiful,'" my mother reminded me.

As I stole another glance at the mirror, I was nearly overcome with desperation. In my eyes, it was becoming a difficult challenge once I saw that I did not have much to work with.

Perhaps a long, reflective sleep would be enough to convince me otherwise, if not for the pang of anxiety I felt about putting my grievances to rest. Learning to love myself was going to be a lengthy journey, but at least I had my mother to join me for the ride.

**~RMCR~**

**Sanchez**

Yet another week had drifted by and still, nothing significant had happened between Raquél and I. If anything, I'd only made things even more awkward by convincing her to dance against her wishes. I had come so close to finding the Raquél that I desperately wanted to know. Any closer and I would have kissed her.

Even the few days following the afternoon we danced, my palms continued to tingle at the memory of the smooth curvatures of her waist; its shape putting a permanent dent into my mind. I could never forget the beautiful sway of her hips as we stepped in unison to the music. A bundle of curls gently whipped against my body whenever I spun her around, which would release that knee-buckling Lavender scent. When our eyes would connect, I watched in awe as the infinitesimal flecks of gold melted against mesmerizing canvases of Emerald.

The girl was nothing short of a goddess. I had to have her!

There just had to be a way that I could break down the wall she kept up around me. Finding my way to the very core of her soul was the goal I had set for myself, even if that meant reducing her to tears. At our next tutoring session, I intended to do exactly that.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

At lunchtime I sat at my usual table of seclusion, silently contemplating the challenge my mother had set before me last night. Before heading to school that morning, I bravely confronted my reflection in the mirror and added a second feature that I liked about myself.

I had never noticed how much longer my hair became when I used a flat iron to straighten my curls. Out of all the girls whom I attended school with, my hair was the longest.

Having never worn my curls straightened, I decided to take the challenge to the next level by putting my fears aside and brave the certain stares I would receive at school. Instead of wearing my hair in its usual messy bun, I let it cascade down my back. Just as I _had_ predicted, my new appearance seemed to stop the very fabric of time as I shuffled through the crowded hallways. To my surprise I had also received many positive compliments, along with a bone-crushing hug courtesy of Eva.

Although she first came across to me as slightly obsessive, meeting someone who actually wanted to become friends with me was starting to sound better than ever.

Once she spotted me across the basketball court in gym class, nearby students reeled back as she let out a piercing scream. Her arms extended open, Eva approached me full throttle and nearly knocked me to the floor.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Your hair—it's _gorgeous_!" she exclaimed, then questioned me about my absences at lunchtime the week before.

I didn't want to tell her that I had spent the last few days hiding out in the guidance counselor's office. But after the run-in I had with Eva, I realized that I could learn to accept her.

That day, I had no worries about being alone. Not a moment after I made a cautious path towards the table in a corner, Felicia began her approach, followed by a giddy Eva.

"Hi, Raquél!" they both greeted me for what seemed like the millionth time, but my day was starting to get better.

"Hey."

Meanwhile, I stole a glance at towards the adjacent Superior table, where I found Maya cocking an eyebrow in amusement. I slowly sunk into my chair as my insecurities resurfaced. As much as I wanted to relish in their company, gaining unwanted attention quickly had me trying to convince them otherwise.

"You know, y-you girls don't have to sit with me if you don't really want to…"

"But we _do_ want to sit with you, Raquél. You're pretty cool," Eva insisted while taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

Unsure whether the statement was meant to be directed towards me, I glanced at the wall over my shoulder and turned back to her.

"Were you talking to me?" I questioned in disbelief.

"Of course. Who else could I be talking to?" she giggled.

If being the geeky, bully victim was their definition of cool, I couldn't imagine how they felt about an actual Somebody.

"You think I'm cool?"

"Totally. I mean, I've never really gotten to know you before Eva moved here but now that I have, I'm glad that she introduced me to you," Felicia said, the corners of her mouth rising to a warm smile.

"Oh… okay."

Uncomfortably, I raked my fingers through my hair when curiosity of Sanchez's absence got the better of me. When I asked the girls about him, they exchanged repressed gazes as if trying to fight off grins.

"No, he wasn't here this morning. He had a physical at the doctor's, but… Ohh—it looks like he's on his way right now," Felicia replied before pointing past my shoulder.

Hoping to avoid blushing in the presence of my newfound crush, I kept my eyes focused on the novel beside my lunch. The girls rose from their chairs to exchange hugs with Sanchez, while I attempted to remain as obscure as possible.

Butterflies tickled the inside of my stomach once the atmosphere around me vibrated with anticipation. I sensed his eyes burning through the back of my head, which had my heart skipping a few lifesaving beats.

"Who's this?" he questioned, unable to identify me from behind.

Eva circled the table to return to her seat with a short, incredulous laugh.

"I can't believe that _you_ wouldn't know of all people! You seriously don't know who this is?"

As he sat beside me to get a closer look, I shyly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, revealing myself to him.

"Raquél!" he exclaimed softly, followed by an anxious stammer. "Wow! I-I didn't recognize you… Y-you look great."

He was nervous! It had to mean something more.

Fighting off the urge to smile, I bit the corner of my bottom lip and said, "Um, thank you."

In a daring exchange, I cast another gaze towards Maya, who now appeared as if she wanted to kill me for talking to one of her former Superior drones. Fear coursed through my veins at the thought of the possible consequences I would have to suffer for my "forbidden" contact with Sanchez.

"So, how have you been since you left gym the other day?"

"O-okay, I guess," I also stammered, then took a bite of food to cover up the rising heat in my cheeks.

"Why did you have to leave so early?" Felicia asked while poking at her food.

"I had to go home for… something."

Since I had not become fully acquainted with Sanchez and his cousins, there was no way that I would bring up the reason for my dismissal.

"Who was that girl that came to pick you up?"

"Yeah, you look just like her. Was she your sister?" Eva chimed in curiously.

I glanced around the table in hesitance, wondering if I should tell the truth about my young mother. I feared that they would criticize me, but the collective glimmers of acceptance I found in their eyes gave me the confidence I desperately needed.

"No, she wasn't my sister. That girl was… my mom," I mumbled at the tabletop.

To my utter dread, the group around me erupted in gasps. I wanted to shut my eyes and disappear as I predicted the next prying question to come my way.

"Your mom? Well, she looks so young! How old is she?" one of the girls asked.

"She just made 29. She had me when she was my age—but I-I'm not really comfortable talking about it."

Immediate regret at my confession washed over Sanchez's charming features, and he reached over the table to touch my hand.

"Hey, it's okay… You don't have to talk about it. We understand," he reassured gently.

His brown eyes seemed to melt as a grin instinctively crept onto my lips. Suddenly, the blurred cluster of tables over his left shoulder disappeared from the corner of my vision. The only person I had in my sights was Sanchez. The alluring sparkle in his eyes struck me as an incredible marvel that I had never experienced; which quickly brought me to the realization that he did indeed have feelings for me. Goosebumps swelled like a wave down my back as the crooked smile rose onto his features.

All the confounding feelings I'd been experiencing soon began to make sense… the sparks I felt when we touched; the wild butterflies that fluttered in my stomach; the skipping beats that always threatened to stop my heart. I had begun to fall hard for Sanchez, and this time I was positive that he would catch me.

Seconds continued to tick by like hours as my palm remained tucked beneath his. Then, reality struck with a vengeance. In the blink of an eye I was back in the cafeteria, where our trances had caught the attentions of students around us. I did not dare steal a glance at the unquestionably seething Superior table.

Mortified, I hastily slipped my hand away and placed it in my lap while Sanchez dropped his gaze to the floor, nervously rubbing the back of my neck. Not knowing what to say, awkward silence thickened the air between us. Before I thought that my death would be determined by this irreversible moment of embarrassment, Felicia came to my rescue with a sudden invitation.

"Anyway, Raquél. I know that we don't know much about each other yet but… I'm having a pool party at my house on Saturday. It might be a good chance for us to, you know, hang out and get to know each other better."

_In the middle of December?_ I thought.

"A pool party? Don't you think it'll be cold outside?"

Of course, the possibility of freezing to death at a poolside gathering was not my real concern. The fear of having to wear a swimsuit in front of the people I attended school with was an experience that I was not looking forward to.

Eva let out a childish giggle as she casually waved her hand backwards.

"No, silly! You're so funny. Licia has an _indoor_ pool; and it's heated too," she said.

"Would you like to come? It'll be fun."

I glanced between Eva and Felicia indecisively. The pressure to join them was not a negative pressure, but a pressure of listening to my heart instead of my head. The last time I "listened" to my heart, I ended up getting it broken. Clearly, it was just my head convincing me otherwise. Then again, the thought of being clad in a bikini in Sanchez's presence made my cheeks burn.

"W-well, I don't know… I'm not really used to going to big parties," I stammered, wanting to hit myself in the forehead for sounding so tense.

"Oh, no—don't worry. It's just going to be the three of us… Please come," Eva added quickly, her lips puckering into a beseeching pout.

This was my one chance to make real friends with people who wanted to accept me despite my social status. And if I wanted to get closer to Sanchez, I had to grasp the opportunity while it was being presented to me. Aside from my crippling terror of getting hurt when taking risks, the feelings in my heart were stronger than ever.

"Okay; I guess I can come. I'll just have to ask my mom."

"Awesome! We can exchange cell numbers later and I'll give you the details," Felicia said, while a squealing Eva eagerly jumped up and down in her seat.

Just then, our heads whipped around to the clock as the warning bell began to sound. We rose from our seats to discard the remnants of our devoured meals, when Eva skipped to my side and pulled me into another constricting embrace. I was confident that I would somehow grow used to her energetic positivity, because I felt that she could truly relate to me. For someone who was a former victim of bullying, she seemed like the happiest girl in the world. I had to learn her secret.

"Ahh! This is going to be so much fun—I can't even tell you how freaking excited I am! You know what? Me, you and Felicia should definitely go to the mall and pick out bikinis together. Wouldn't that be awesome? You think that that's awesome, right? 'Cause I think it would be _so_ awesome—!"

"Come on, Speedy Gonzalez, it's time to take your chill pill…" Felicia laughed before guiding Eva away in the midst of her ramble. "See you later, Raquél! Bye, Quique."

As they disappeared into the crowd Eva's head popped up above the students, and she extended her arm with a wave.

"Bye, Raquél!" her cheerful voice faded.

Sanchez and I were left standing alone, silently contemplating the moment we shared minutes ago.

"Well… I have to get to class now. I don't want to be late," I declared quietly, reaching down to gather my book bag.

Before I could attempt to make a quick getaway, his calloused palm gently wound around my upper arm; and he carefully pulled me back. I flinched not because of the sudden contact, but because the sheer delicacy of his grasp commenced the sparks once more.

"Hey. Is it okay if I walk you to class?"

Once again, it was difficult for me to refuse his generous offer as his eyes melted into mine, my knees threatening to buckle.

"Okay, I guess."

No longer worried about getting to class on time, we gradually strolled through the corridors caught up in a friendly conversation; until the crowds had reduced to a few lingering students roaming the halls. The discomfort of receiving criticizing stares had soon subsided once I had arrived at my destination. Not surprisingly, I was reluctant to leave his side. The disappointment of being unable to be with him didn't end there. For the rest of the week we would not have the chance to meet because of his strict football schedule.

Sanchez folded his bulky arms together and leaned against a row of lockers, casting a cheeky, deep-dimpled grin down at me.

_Why did I never notice how cute he was before?_ my thoughts pondered.

"So, I guess we'll see each other again on Saturday?" he repeated, his voice rising with hope.

"Yeah, I… can't wait."

Sanchez began to walk away, leaving me to watch him outside the classroom.

"Bye," I whispered to myself once he spun back around to send me a parting wave.

Saturday. On that day, I knew I would have to let go of my troubling inhibitions and let him see me… the real me.

**Please review, thank you! You all give me wonderful support that keeps me going!**


	13. Beautiful

**So I made sure that I was extra prepared with this chapter, plus I just couldn't wait any longer to get to the pool party. That is coming up in the next chapter, and there will be lots of drama and very tender moments. Enjoy and review pleeease! :)**

**Chapter 13: Beautiful**

**Raquél **

"A crush, huh? Who's the lucky guy?" my mother questioned teasingly as I followed her around the kitchen.

That evening, I was eager to tell her about my feelings for Sanchez.

"It's no big deal," I denied blushing. "He's the guy I tutor in the afternoons."

"Really? How come I've never met him?"

"Because you're never home that early… Plus you'll probably embarrass me by asking him if he would go out with me," I giggled beside her as we began to prepare dinner together.

I stopped slicing and coughed to myself once the stench of peppers climbed towards the back of my throat. My mother also paused while scrubbing the hunk of poultry in the sink, and glanced straight ahead in deep contemplation.

"I probably would do that, huh? But he sounds like a genuine guy; it's that _Cubano_ charm, you know."

"And he is genuine, Mami. You should have seen the way he looked at me today. It was like… I-I can't even describe it in words. He has this smile that just makes my heart skip—oh, please! Let me date him if he asks me out!" I pleaded, clasping my hands together as if it was an absolute necessity to date this boy.

I studied my mother's now unreadable features as she moved onto the stovetop, and dropped a marinated breast of chicken into the hissing pan. She didn't respond immediately, which meant that she had not forgotten about my confession. I knew that she was on high alert.

My only guess was that the next question would have to do with his age. There was a definite possibility that she would not give me the consent to date a boy nearly five years older than me.

"How old is he?" she asked casually after reading my mind.

"Um, well, don't freak out but… h-he's 19."

I braced myself for the worst.

Shooting me an incredulous glance, my mother dropped her spoon and haltingly threw her hands in the air.

"Oh, no… No way. You are not dating a guy who's _college-aged_. I won't allow it! You're too young, first of all, and I don't know what his intentions are. How do you know if he really likes you? For all I know, he could be after one thing! And I swear if he puts his hands on you…" she began to ramble, which quickly flowed into a mumbling rant in Spanish as she hastily stirred the pot of cooking pasta.

_There goes my plans for Saturday,_ I thought somberly.

"But he's really not that kind of guy. He's sweet and caring; his Spanish may be a little different, but I've never felt this way about a boy before. _Please,_ Mami. Don't you trust me?"

Silently, my mother raised a skeptical eyebrow at me and shook her head with an unconvinced scoff.

"Well, to me, it seems as though you don't deserve to be trusted with an older guy after you lied to me about Carlos. I'm not saying that I don't trust you whatsoever, but when it comes to leaving you alone with a boy, I can't help but think that something is going to happen," she presumed, which angered me more than anything.

"What are you trying to say, Mami? I'm not like that! You don't trust me with a guy just because I happened to have sex with one? Correction—he took advantage of me!" I argued.

"No! Because you're much smarter than that. You knew better than to blindly jump into a so-called 'relationship', thinking that a bully would change his ways after telling you that he liked you. He only hurt you because he wanted to make his sick fantasy a reality."

"But, Mami—"

"When I spoke to you about sex a few years ago, I told you not to get intimate with someone unless you were both sure of your feelings, or if you were truly in love with each other. Now, as a Catholic I don't condone premarital sex, but you will know when a guy loves you. In spite of having a nearly ten year relationship with your father, I never realized how much he'd taken advantage of me; how much he'd neglected us when we needed him the most. Look at where it's gotten me now! All because I was too naïve to realize that he wasn't in it for the long run… Please, baby. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. Just promise me that you'll be careful if you do decide to date him."

I was stunned. It was a promise that I could not refuse keeping. Knowing that I was susceptible to getting my heart broken again was a likelihood that I was not prepared to relive. Perhaps I had been too eager to skip the friendship milestone and start a relationship with Sanchez; even if he did seem to really like me.

Then I thought back to the word of advice I'd been offered by my Angel aunt. Before I could even think about turning my short friendship with Sanchez into a true romance, I had to learn to love myself and gain more confidence to face my fears. Surely, I did not want to get hurt a second time.

"I promise, Mami…" I declared, just as I had promised Aunt Mary.

With a slight crouch my mother planted a firm kiss against my lips and rubbed her palm along my back.

"Good. Why don't you take your shower while I finish cooking? We can finish this conversation later, all right?"

"Okay, Mami. But can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure, what is it?" she questioned.

"Um, i-is it okay if I go to Felicia's pool party on Saturday? It's not a real party; it's just going to be her, Eva and Sanchez," I explained nervously.

She twisted her face in skepticism upon my acknowledgment of my crush.

"Hmm, your _pequeña_ body walking around a 19 year old in a bikini? I… guess it's okay; you can go. But please—save me the worry—try not to get too close to him. For a little thing, you have some gorgeous curves, _Mamita_. One look at them and that boy's hormones will set off like a fire alarm!" she fathomed laughing.

"Ohh! Thank you so much, Mami! ¡No tienes idea de lo emocionada que estoy!" I squealed as I skipped off to the bathroom in high spirits.

"As long as you don't slip and fall jumping around; don't get too excited… Go take your shower, baby girl."

**~RMCR~**

On a typical night, my bath routine would usually conclude with a quick, shameful dash back to my bedroom. That evening I decided that I may as well learn to love my image, since mirrors were unavoidable.

As I stepped out to escape the stifling humidity of the shower, I slowly approached the mirror that hung at the back of the door.

I was ready to face my greatest adversary of all: myself.

I kept my stare focused on the feet of my reflection, silently contemplating my next strategy. The examination began at the roots of my curls. Normally a wild mass of tresses hanging past my lower back, they had become loose ringlets as they clung to my shoulders in their dampened state. And my eyes… Possibly unlike any other green irises, they were as green as a pure Emerald jewel, exclusively inherited by my mother. Her bright cheekbones also made their way into my features, which always seemed to preserve a shade of pink even when I did not smile. My lips were gorgeously curved and plump, shaped to hold a natural pout. The almost seductive feature posed as a stark contrast to my innocent temperament.

I ran a single finger along the velvety surface of my heart-shaped face. My outer image was not the only aspect of myself that I intended to acknowledge.

If only I was admired for my intelligence at school as much as I was at home… Although I was often highly praised by my teachers for my outstanding academic achievements, there I became the ridicule of the student body.

"They're just jealous that they won't become as successful as you later in life," my mother would tell me.

I could not deny that she was somehow right. Unlike the superficial perspectives of the prejudiced Superiors, I never made snap judgments about a person I did not know. But I searched for that one crack in their outer shell that would lead me to the core of their being. Odds were, I was bound to share common ground with someone who went through the same hell as me.

My body, not fully exposed to the mirror, remained concealed behind the towel I clutched against myself. After my traumatic confrontation with Carlos, his brutally honest opinion of my body left me more insecure than ever. I was ashamed to look at myself in the nude.

With a trembling hand I loosened the fold at the edge of the towel, and let it drop to the floor. As I observed my body in the mirror, I uneasily wrapped my arms around my midsection, doubts of my decision threatening to consume me.

My petite frame began with my delicate shoulders, medium, ample breasts and a slim waist which curved out to my broad hips. Not in a way that dramatically affected the proportion of my body, but blessed me with curves that my mother often encouraged me to embrace. I slowly turned around, where my eyes automatically fell to the pair of indentations on my lower back. My mother nearly decided to give me the middle name Venus because of the dimples; hence the title: Dimples of Venus. A pair also resided on the backs of my shoulders, but they did not nearly draw as much attention. I hated them as a child when kids used to accuse me of being a "weirdo." And I hated them even more as a teenager when I would receive perverted stares and comments if they were spotted. Now I began to feel special because I was the only person in my family to have them.

My mother was right; I did have gorgeous curves. _I_ was gorgeous.

There was no question that I had been exceedingly naïve about the real meaning of beauty. If "real" beauty was superficiality and heartlessness; skimpy clothing, hair extensions, bodily enhancements and caked-on makeup, then I wanted no part in it. All those blind assumptions I'd made about my appearance in the past were no longer true. I was never hideous, never unattractive…

I was beautiful.

"Oh, my God," I breathed in awe.

Tears began to pool at the brims of my eyelids once I realized how ignorant I had been. When I glanced into the mirror again, I found myself in the presence of a green-eyed goddess. I gently clasped my palm over my mouth to suppress the rush that brewed in my core, threatening to burst free. But there was no stopping the surge of emotions that quickly overwhelmed me. My chest rose and fell sharply as my gasping sobs escaped into the air.

"I… I'm beautiful," I spoke to my reflection, barely audible.

I decided to repeat it again, louder and stronger so that I believed in my heart that it was true.

"I'm beautiful."

Suddenly my knees buckled beneath me, and I collapsed against the door before sliding to the tiles. The release was indescribable, like a flame that had been waiting to be ignited by a single spark. It was an Epiphany that finally opened my eyes to what was pure, and affected me in a way that I never expected. Instead of shedding tears of hopelessness and uncertainty; for the first time, I shed tears of joy and relief.

An abrupt knock on the opposite side of the door burst through my tearful reverie, and my mother's concerned voice vibrated against the wood.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you okay in there?"

Unable to rid myself of the weakness in my legs, I scooted away from the doorway as she carefully stepped in. A wave of near panic washed over her face, and she hastily shut herself into the room with me.

"Raquél, wha—? What happened; did you hurt yourself?" she questioned while kneeling beside me.

Without a word, I launched myself into her body, letting out the sobs once more. Attempting to soothe me without knowing what had occurred, she gently combed her fingers through my wet curls.

"Mami's here, _Raquélita_. It's okay," she whispered to me before pulling back to wipe my tears. "Now, calm down and tell me what's wrong."

"No. Nothing is wrong. It's just that… I-I finally realized that you were right. I am beautiful," I sniffled.

A compassionate smile spread across her lips as she tucked a curl behind my ear.

"Oh, honey. You're only realizing that now? You were beautiful from the very beginning."

"I know. Now I'm starting to see what the true meaning of beauty is. It isn't the fake, enhanced beauty that you see in the movies or in magazines. It's just me. I'm beautiful, Mami. I feel so much better now that I've learned to accept myself," I laughed tearfully.

"Yes, you are beautiful; and don't let anyone_ ever_ tell you otherwise. What made you realize that?"

"Well, I thought about what you said before. At first, I was too scared to even admit out loud that I was beautiful. And when I did say it, I don't know what came over me… It was this overwhelming feeling that just swept me off my feet. I didn't know that saying it alone would have this kind of effect on me," I explained.

"You're a strong girl, you know that? It takes a lot for someone to confront their inner demons, and I'm glad that you were strong enough to look at yourself in a different way. A much better way," she praised, caressing my face.

"I love you, Mami. You never gave up on me even when I tried to deny your help."

"I love _you_, Raquél. And never forget: I'll always be here for you. All you have to do is talk, and I'll listen," she replied.

My mother and I shared another embrace before she helped me to my feet. Only then did she notice my nonexistent attire. As her eyes instinctively flickered down my body, she let out a silent chuckle.

"Now, please put on some clothes before you get sick."

Later that night I eagerly awaited the day when I would confidently face the Superiors at school; especially Maya. There, I was determined to reduce their sneering comments to nothing more than what they were… Insignificant, meaningless specks of dirt. No longer would they break me.

In the words of Grey Livingston: "Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye."

**~RMCR~**

**Sanchez**

¿Te gustaría salir conmigo? ¿…A-al cine?"

The long awkward pause between us caused the air to thicken with tension. Unconvinced, she tilted her head to the side and scrunched her nose in contemplation. The brief answer was a short as it was harsh.

"Mmm… no."

Frustrated, I turned back to the mirror to recite the daunting question for the hundredth time.

"Would you like to go to the movies, Raquél? With me? …Look, this seems stupid but do I speak in English or Spanish? We've been speaking to each other in English and so far, it just doesn't seem natural."

With no further advice to guide me, I angrily pounded my fist against the wall in defeat, an approach that I rarely resorted to when venting my frustrations. I was not a violent person, unless I was fighting to protect someone.

Raquél was a girl worth fighting for.

"Damn it! Why can't I get this right?" I roared aloud, as the room fell hushed.

Regrettably, I'd left a significant dent in the drywall.

"Because you're trying too hard to impress her. She's clearly going to see that you're a nervous wreck."

I scowled at the other two heads that nodded in agreement.

"Oh, don't get upset, Quique! She's a nice girl. It's not like she's going to turn you down," Eva fathomed innocently, hoping to cheer me up with her optimistic attitude.

Along with Felicia and my older sister Fátima, we cleared our minds and returned to the drawing board.

Never had I struggled so much when the time came to asking Raquél on a date. I had been on a few dates before my arrival to America, so why did I find it so difficult on the occasion?

"Maybe… But what if she thinks that I'm trying to take advantage of her like Carlos did? What makes this worse is that I'm almost three years older than him. She definitely won't trust me."

"Then prove to her that you can be trusted. When she challenges you and tells you to leave if you intend to hurt her, stay. But _only_ if you truly mean it," my sister wisely suggested.

Although Fátima was born two years before me, the age gap between us made a huge difference in her level of maturity and experience. Before the family's move to the United States; back in Cuba, she always held ambitions of excelling as a lawyer. She would spend hours at the neighbor's house, taking in knowledge of the former language instructor's experience in the English language.

Even after three years of living in the States, I still regretted not joining her to expand my vocabulary.

"Oh-no. I'll never hurt her, ever. But if I do, that'll be the day when I leave. I can't imagine living with the guilt if I stayed to hurt her again," I said.

My sister raised her shoulders in misperception once Felicia and Eva burst into "aww's."

"But I don't get it… Why are you so infatuated with this girl? I know that you like her, but I've never seen you so passionate about a girl before."

Eva leaned over and playfully thrust a finger against my bicep.

"'Cause he's in _looove_," she teased.

"No, I'm not!"

_Yet…_ my brain told me otherwise, as I turned to Fátima.

"Because… it's completely unfair and unnecessary the way people at school treat her. She would never hurt a fly or ever judge anyone; but Maya and her friends obviously think that she should be punished for having a heart. They bully her literally every day, and it's gotten so bad that she's tried to commit suicide. There isn't one day that goes by that I don't see tears in her eyes… She doesn't deserve all that crap and she needs to know that there are people out there who do care about her," I ended my justification while gesturing towards Felicia and Eva.

"Yeah, we do care about her. I can actually relate to her because I went through the exact same thing. The only difference is that their treatment was not as brutal to me as Maya's treatment towards Raquél. Even though I once thought of committing suicide over it, I never imagined that someone had it worse than me. Turns out, she has it far worse."

Felicia finally threw her arms up in deliberation as she rose from my desk.

"That's it, Quique. We have got to do something about Maya and her friends because I've had it with them! They just think that they're the most popular things in the world since the internet. I'm getting sick of them putting kids into categories based on looks or money—and it's just not fair that they treat Raquél the worst out of everybody else," my cousin exclaimed in outrage.

We simultaneously shifted our gazes toward Fátima, who slowly nodded in understanding.

"I get what you mean. She sounds like she deserves to have people to look out for her. You'll take care of her, right, _Hermanito_?"

"I'll treat her better than a queen—of course I will. You know that I'm one of the most caring and faithful guys you'll ever meet," I replied humbly.

"We believe you," Eva agreed, "Now, if only we can get Raquél to see that…"

Silently, we nodded our heads in brief negotiation. I was determined to show Raquél that we could be trusted. But that was my greatest concern of all. Would she be able to trust us through her fear of heartbreak?

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

God, I hated this part.

The thoughts in my brain became muddled in the midst of my anxiety. My eyes continued to shift downward at a constant pace, unable to gaze into the icy faces of cruelty. No matter how hard I fought, the sheet of paper between my hands trembled vulnerably. Blood pumped in my ears and heated my cheeks, threatening to trigger one of my crippling Social Anxiety Disorder attacks. Just when I thought that I had grown out of it, reminders of my SAD continued to haunt me.

And so, the stuttering fits began.

"U-um…" I repeated timidly for what seemed like the hundredth time.

The chorus of repressed snickers and whispers were enough to reduce me to tears. But I worked to swallow the burning lump before it emerged as a helpless sob.

"I-in the early 1900s, th-the period of American Realism—"

"How can I understand what you're saying if you're talking like a mouse?" a Superior called aloud from the back of the classroom; much to the amusement of her friends.

A wounding burst of laughter shrunk me further backwards to the whiteboard. To make matters worse, Sanchez sat at the very front of the room. He must have thought that I looked ridiculous. Except, there was an unmistakable spark of sympathy in his eyes.

"That's enough, Lynn… Speak up, sweetie," Mrs. Brown gently encouraged me, hoping to alleviate some of my nerves.

Unfortunately, all she_ could_ do was hope. I was more flustered than ever.

"The period of Realism in the 1800s—I-I mean the 1900s, developed towards the end of the Civil War and, and stressed actual reality as opposed to, um, no… _instead_ of the imagined literature."

Suddenly, my frustration nearly boiled over when Carlos outstretched his arms with an exaggerated yawn.

"Today, maybe? Before I grow a beard…" he muttered, which elicited even more giggles.

I paused in aggravation, striking the piece of paper against my thigh. To my relief, my English teacher turned her attention towards the back of the room to address their behavior.

"Hold on a minute, honey. Listen, all of you… Raquél is trying to read her research paper and you guys are being extremely rude and disrespectful. One more peep out of you and—What is it now, Mike?" she interrupted her own warning once the jock raised his hand.

"Just saying, but in my defense, she wasn't even reading. She's just stuttering like a broken record; not talking—"

"_WOULD YOU DUMBASSES JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET HER FINISH?_ It's not funny!" a sudden voice bellowed, causing me to flinch.

The classroom feel unbearably silent as my classmates let their jaws drop in shock.

"Why don't_ you_ shut the fuck up, Sanchez? You and your annoying bitch cousins get on my fucking nerves all the time!" Carlos retaliated angrily.

In the back of my mind I hoped that Sanchez would not get in trouble for coming to my defense. I was not worthy of being defended.

"That's it! All of you head straight to the office—including you, Mr. Sanchez."

Cursing beneath his breath, he reluctantly got to his feet and walked past me. I didn't dare exchange glances with him, fearing that he was angry at me for getting him in trouble. It was not until after the Superiors followed seething that I let out a tense sigh of relief.

Happy to have gotten rid of the tormenting horde along with my hero of the day, my teacher faintly raised an acknowledging palm in my direction.

"You may continue, Raquél," she said.

With slight undertones of cynicism I regrettably finished my report, slightly frustrated by Sanchez's unfair penalty.

Thankfully, I did not have to face him that Friday, because I feared that my chance to impress him was ruined.

**~RMCR~**

**(Later that Afternoon)**

"Who's my big boy? Yeah, you are, _Papito_! I love you so much—mwah!" I cooed to my baby brother, as I placed an exaggerated smooch on his curled fists. Then I pulled him close to me and pecked him on the lips, which caused him to giggle.

Since I did not have to tutor Sanchez that afternoon, I spent my time alone with my siblings. A'sharía resembled a precious baby doll as she slept in her playpen, displayed for me to lovingly marvel upon. I fought the urge to pluck her from her dreams and let her sleep in my arms. She looked adorable flinching, kicking and waving her fists in the midst of her slumber.

As for André, he was much more difficult to put to sleep; especially since he gained the ability to walk on his own. Instead of blacking out once his head hit the pillow, he circled and fussed in protest, demanding his freedom. Fortunately, the solution was as simple as it was effective. His eyelids eventually fluttered shut while I tenderly combed my fingers through his curls.

"Shh, go to sleep, baby. Close your eyes," I whispered into his ear, while gently bouncing him up and down.

Soon I began to tiptoe my way into the nursery, where I carefully placed my brother into his crib. Then I gathered my sister from the living room and kissed her forehead before resting her beside André. I leaned against the doorway with a pensive sigh. Even though I was sooner or later destined to have children of my own, sometimes I felt like a teenaged mother. I knew that Mami was a hard worker, but as her oldest daughter nearly half of the responsibilities were dumped onto me.

Quickly growing bored, I decided to record my feelings in my diary. Sanchez was on my mind again.

_He notices that I love to take care of my brother and sister. If André or Ria show up in the middle of our session, he'd smile when I picked them up to kiss them. I think that he has a soft spot for affectionate girls like me; which probably explains his breakup with Maya. He has too much of a heart to be with such a cruel person. Personally, I don't think he even liked her. There must be a few girls at school who are right for him, but now… I'm starting to think that I'm right for him, too. I am so scared to think that I blew my chance with him today, because he was sent to the principal's office. If he risked getting himself a one-way ticket to Detention because of me, then he must really care about—_

My pen abruptly redirected a startled path of ink across the paper once the front door thumped with a knock.

"Raquél? Are you there? It's me."

I hardly made out the answer over the sweet-singing voices of _Nueva Era_. After shutting off the radio, I approached the door with a cautious step, then stepped onto a nearby stool to elevate myself towards the peephole.

All I could see was the hardened chest of a man.

"Sanchez?" I gasped to myself.

As much as I wanted to avoid his company, my heart seemed to whisper to let him in.

My hands trembling with anticipation, I slowly turned the knob to reveal myself to him. He stood in front of me panting heavily, hints of perspiration forming on his forehead. He looked as if he had been running.

As our gazes locked, his brown eyes melted into mine just as they had the other day. That lingering spark of affection was no longer obstructed by the wall I built between us. I felt early fragments of The Wall crumbling, disintegrating in his towering presence. No longer would I keep Sanchez out to wonder if I was going to open my heart to him.

Instead, Enriqué was the boy I wanted to give my heart to.

**I was glad to finally reveal Sanchez's first name because I felt that you'll now look at him in a different way instead of wondering who this mystery guy is. I personally thought that it was very sweet of him to stand up for Raquél, even if he did seem a bit rash. I will have his picture up in my profile for chapter 14, but in the meantime your feedback is very important to me. REVIEW! **


	14. True Colors

**I know it's been quite a wait for this chapter but I got it finished as quickly (or not) as I could when I wasn't busy with homework… If senior year is going to dump as much homework on me as this year I can't imagine how college will be! Anyway Raquél FINALLY opens up to Enriqué, so skip this note and read to find out. Also, if you're interested in how Enriqué the mystery man looks check out his picture in my profile! Read and review! :D**

**Chapter 14: True Colors**

**Enriqué**

"Enriqué… w-what are you doing here?" Raquél questioned, her shocked green eyes nailing my feet to the floor.

As always, her magnificent beauty never failed to leave me frozen with intimidation. Panicking, I hastily pulled out a binder from my book bag instead of blurting out the intended, "You make my heart race."

"Um, I-I need help with something. Homework," I stammered a reply, slightly frustrated with myself for beating around the bush.

The homework excuse was only a cover-up in preparation to tell her about my feelings. It was like the entrée before the main dish.

Her delicious lips curled into a shy grin as she opened the door to let me inside.

"Okay. Come in, then."

It seemed as though she had a lot on her mind, which only meant that she was worried about what happened in English class earlier that day. Although I'd spent an unfair hour in detention, any consequence was worth suffering for Raquél.

"Listen, about today in class, I didn't mean to get you into trouble. It's just that—"

"You know what really pisses me off? Personally, I don't get angry very often, but it's just unfair," I began.

"I know. That's what I wanted to apologize for. I'm sorry; it was my fault for getting you a detention…"

"It is so unfair the way people treat you. You deserve to be treated with respect."

"Huh?" she responded, perplexed. "You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not. It wasn't your fault at all," I replied.

My palm twitched at my side. I felt the urge to hold her hand.

"But you didn't deserve to be sent to the office. I-I just wasn't reading loud enough."

I could not believe my ears. Although her tormentors were clearly at fault, she was selfless enough to take the full blame for their actions.

"Raquél, that's crazy. You almost had tears in your eyes… They were being completely rude and insensitive when you were trying to read your report," I argued softly.

I watched as she shook her head in denial before walking off with a scoff; leaving me alone in the foyer.

"Ohh, I don't want to hear this right now," she groaned to herself, clamping her hands over her ears. "Look, do you need help or what?"

Raquél was quickly losing patience, and my plans were heading downhill fast. I followed her into the kitchen, where she climbed onto a barstool at the edge of the counter.

"I'm sorry; I won't mention it if it bothers you. It's just this Edger Allen Poe poem—it's killing me trying to figure it out."

Seemingly shocked at my inability to comprehend English literature, Raquél grabbed the poem from my hands to study the half-completed homework.

"You're kidding… What happened to the lessons I taught you?" she asked with a disbelieving frown.

"I've been busy all week with football practice and games. I just forgot."

A wave of curls swung over her shoulder as she flicked her head to the side. The natural pout on her lips drew me closer to her. She observed _The Raven_ with a beautiful, scrutinizing gaze; which daunted me just as much as her intelligence.

"So I see that you've figured out some; just not enough. I can spot a million parts in this that you could've annotated," she said while pointing at the first stanza of the poem.

"Like what?"

"Look at this; you could have listed vocabulary words, alliterations, rhymes, metaphors. Like this metaphor right here: 'To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core…' By that, the author is comparing the raven's gaze to a fire. It's just a matter of understanding one thing in terms of another," she explained.

I couldn't help my emotions watching the captivating girl. Tempted to have her in my embrace, I cautiously inched closer to her.

It was time to tell the girl of my dreams how I really felt for her.

**Raquél**

Apart from the unexpected appearance I received from Enriqué, I was secretly excited to talk to him for the first time that week.

But once he explained that he'd needed help with a poem, I could not help but suspect that he wasn't really interested in his homework. It was clear that he came to me for something else; something that he had to get off his chest.

His gaze continued to penetrate my soul as I felt his presence looming behind me.

"Here… Now try to find the alliteration in the first stanza," I challenged him.

Before I could dismount the barstool to get out of his way, I found myself locked between a pair of strong forearms. He gently took the pencil from my grasp, leaving a trail of sparks on the surface of my hand. Through the drape of curls that rest on my back, I felt his solid abdomen against me like a blockade. My head swirled at his masculine scent.

I was surprised when his voice emerged soft and husky, which kicked my pulse into high gear.

"I think I found one: 'While I nodded, nearly napping…' Is that correct?"

"Um, y-yeah," I stammered, growing flustered by his proximity.

But I wanted him close to me. I almost felt protected.

"Now I can see why you're at the top of your class. You can practically dissect something as complicated as this and look at it with this incredible sense of depth. You're pretty amazing when it comes to… anything," he murmured into my ear, sending a chill up my spine.

In the pit of my stomach initiated a torrent of butterflies, which blew through my lips in a trembling exhale.

Enriqué wanted me.

Knowing that there was no turning back, I turned around in his arms and gazed into his eyes in silent meditation. His smooth caramel skin seemed to glow against the cloudy milieu of windows over his shoulders. His eyes melted into two deep inlets of chestnut, representing the never-ending affection that I now realized he had for me. The dimples in his cheeks never disappeared even when he was serious.

"Why are you so interested in me?" I questioned softly.

"How can I not be interested in you? You're intelligent, down-to-earth; mature. You're beautiful. To be honest, I-I've been crushing on you for a while."

Extremely taken back by his confession, I tried not to let my emotions overwhelm me. My heart raced so fast I could barely hear my own thoughts; but I knew that I had to be careful. As much as I liked Enriqué, Carlos had a very similar explanation when he also admitted to having a "crush" on me.

I thought that I was ready to start a relationship, until I found myself slamming on the breaks.

"Well, you're not exactly the first guy to tell me that… I hope you know that I don't date," I said mechanically.

No.

This was not what I wanted to say. My head was speaking, not my heart.

Enriqué boldly brought his hand up and tucked a curl behind my ear.

"Why not?"

"Because it just leads to—nevermind," I sighed, unwilling to recall my heartbreak.

"You think that you'll get hurt?" he speculated.

"Something like that. It's just that I don't think I'm ready."

How could I say that I wasn't ready when I was _more_ than ready to be with Enriqué? My past continued to hold me back from taking risks, which threatened to build a wall between us.

"You need someone to be there for you no matter what. I can be there for you."

His voice was quivering and hesitant, as if he was trying to mask his anticipation. That was when I found myself fighting off tears to no avail. He was setting up a promise, but fear coursed through my veins at the thought of having it broken.

"I don't know if I can let myself trust again. I'm… scared," I admitted, my throat burning.

The moment of truth came once his lips began to descend towards mine.

"I'm scared too. I'm not sure if you'll trust me… I don't know if you like me as much as I like you," he whispered.

Enriqué leaned in close to me, snaking his palm around the nape of my neck as his unsteady breath tickled my lips.

Finally my eyes fluttered shut, and our lips met with a jolting spark. The kiss was unlike anything I had ever experienced, like a burst of fireworks lighting up the dark horizon of my soul. My body trembled with enigmatic sensations that even I could not fathom. I felt astonished, exhilarated, peaceful, hopeful, relieved. I felt alive.

Enriqué reminded me that I was in good hands, protectively locking his arms around my waist. The tip of his tongue gently traced the inner curve of my lips, yearning to explore my reaches; to taste my adrenaline. Without warning, his tongue thrust into my mouth, which threatened to escalate the kiss to a full makeout session. I wasn't ready to take things a step further. Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and gingerly withdrew.

"Please… stop," I managed breathlessly, swallowing hard as he carefully took my palm.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, clearly disappointed once I staggered to my feet.

"This can't happen again. I was supposed to avoid this."

I left him in the kitchen and quickly made my way into the living room to escape the situation. But Enriqué was hot on my heels.

"What? A relationship?"

"Look, I like you, too. You're very sweet, but I can't do this again. I've sworn off guys after what happened between me and Carlos. I thought I was ready but I'm not," I explained apologetically, somewhat frustrated with myself for being irresolute.

"Do you think that I'll take advantage of you like he did? I'm not that kind of person; I've liked you for a long time. You're an amazing girl and I'd really like a chance with you," he admitted.

Although I sensed that he had a fear of rejection, I could not elude thoughts of Carlos's deceitful interpretation. Trying to fathom the similarities, I began to pace around the room on the verge of outrage.

"I've heard this all before from Carlos… If he said the same exact things to me, then why should I believe you?" I questioned.

"The answer is simple: I'm the complete opposite of him. You can trust me unlike that sick bastard."

Folding my arms across my chest in skepticism, I murmured, "He told me that I could trust _him_…"

Enriqué let out a frustrated sigh, and approached, ready to defend his reasons.

"You just can't assume that every guy you meet will end up hurting you. I sure as hell wouldn't. Raquél, please… You deserve nothing but the best and I can give you that as long as you're with me," he pleaded almost desperately.

It was clear that he was determined to prove to me that he wasn't going to hurt me, but I found his offer too good to be true. It seemed as though deception and mistrust led me to believe that trust was just a make-believe word. The mere promise of trust served as a consolation prize once it was broken. No longer able to fight of the oncoming shed of tears, I choked out an angry sob.

"Don't hurt me. Do _not_ hurt me! I flat out refuse to be taken advantage of anymore, so you might as well leave if that's what you intend to do… Leave now," I demanded while pointing at the door.

"I'm not going to leave," he simply replied, but folded his arms to show that he meant business.

"And why not?"

"Because, I told you already: I will not hurt you. I'm proud to truthfully tell you that I will not, nor will I ever hurt you, Raquél. You've been through enough as it is."

His statement struck a chord in my heart, a stinging reminder that penetrated my soul with fury. My emotions teetering in the very brink of self-destruction, I had no choice but to release the tirade.

"You don't know the fucking half of it. You have no idea what I've been through! The broken promises, the lies told straight to my face; the betrayal of my trust—you don't know any of that! Since I've been born every single day for me has been a living hell; and that's what upsets me about people like you: who think that they know what I've been through. You're not me, okay? You don't see what I see or feel the pain that I feel. You don't know what it's like to be tortured every day; to feel like an outsider instead of a person. I'm not a bad person… I'm not a slut, I don't sleep around, I don't have any children; I'm not any of those things people say I am. And I hate the fact that I've never done anything bad to anyone, yet kids at school treat me like I'm some kind of criminal who deserves to be punished. They act like I don't have any feelings—that what they say or do to me won't affect me in any way. Well, I'm not a robot! I'm a human being and I can feel… all I _can _feel is pain. Sometimes, I wish that I was never born because no one cares about me. They just don't care. Why, _why_ do you think I tried to kill myself? I just wanted all the torment to end, but since the end didn't come soon enough, I figured that I'd take matters into my own hands and end it myself. I feel so alone sometimes, like I'm the only person in the world who feels this way. I am so scared for my future. I don't know where my life will end up if this keeps happening, because I'm way past the breaking point. All I know is that I'm trying to be heard, but it's just so hard! I feel like no one can hear me no matter how loud I scream. After Carlos robbed me of my dignity I've never felt so dirty and used. Please. If you don't like me for who I am on the inside, don't try anything. I'm much too fragile to go through this a second time. Don't hurt me, please. I'm not a toy, Enriqué… don't hurt me."

My lungs fatigued with pressure, and I fell to pieces in front of Enriqué. At that moment I realized that I shared a special connection with him. Never before had I confessed my heartbreak to someone I hardly knew. It was then and there that I had finally revealed my true colors.

**Enriqué**

I was stunned. Devastation struck after witnessing such raw emotion from the young girl. So much heartbreak, so much pain was what eventually led Raquél to her tearful speech. I saw her vulnerability as she self-consciously wrapped her arms around her midsection, shedding tears of anguish.

Thinking quickly, I rushed to her side as she collapsed to the floor, exhausted by her own distress. I began to realize how much she longed for affection as her fingers clung to my jacket.

"You're right, Raquél. I have no idea what you've been through; but I'm willing to do my absolute best to understand. Even though you don't know much about me yet, you can count on this: I will do just about anything in my power to make sure that you won't hurt again. I'll hold you and protect you—only if you'll let me. You won't feel alone with me, Felicia and Eva because we'll be right there with you. As long as I'm there, you won't have to worry about getting your heart broken… I _promise_," I vowed firmly, making it known that I was determined to keep my promise.

Her bloodshot emeralds flickered upwards, locking onto mine without fear. Etched in her heavenly features were the shattered remnants of betrayal, heartache, and neglect. Raquél had poured her heart out to me, trusting that I would be able to put the pieces back together.

She then tested my devotion with a haunting reminder, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Oh, no—I keep my promises," I added quickly before lifting her chin upwards.

As I dropped the tender peck onto her lips I felt them curl against mine in relief. She looked deep into my eyes when I pulled away, possibly searching for anything that would expose my adoration for her. I brushed away the lingering tear, revealing the gratified sparkle in her beautiful eyes.

Finally, I could ask her on a date without the strain of anxiety.

"Would you like to go to the movies on Sunday? It's my treat," I could only ask in a whisper.

Raquél coyly tucked a curl away from her face, while her cheeks flushed to a timid scarlet.

"Sure… I'd love to."

"It's a date, then," I confirmed.

Together, we decided that this moment was too special to waste on any more tutoring. Against my refusal of not wanting her to lift a finger, Raquél helped me pack away my books. She silently followed as I wandered into the foyer, hesitant to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the my cousin's, I guess. I would've loved to pick you up in my car if it didn't need a new battery… But Licia's coming to pick you up."

"Okay… I can't wait for the movies. Sunday, right?" she said, her voice rising with hope.

"Yeah, Sunday. Hopefully I'll be able to pick you up by then."

We both breathed slightly awkward, yet relieved laughs as if we were meeting again for the first time.

I opened the front door and slowly backed my way into the corridor, my heart racing at the sight of the radiant beauty before me. As if Raquél was not already a rare jewel, there was a glimmering sparkle in her seductive eyes.

"Goodnight, Raquél."

She bit her bottom lip to contain an arising grin, unaware of her own tempting coyness. Her tiny, curvy figure leaning against the doorframe, she unknowingly teased me with an innocent giggle and tossed her beautiful curls behind her back.

"Night," she whispered before disappearing into her apartment.

Finally out of her sight, I was left alone to celebrate my victory. In my eyes it was a victory that was more glorious in itself than a state championship game. A golden trophy was not nearly as gratifying as earning my chance with the gorgeous angel known as Raquél.

I fought the urge to break out into a dance of excitement, until I ambled into the dark parking lot.

"Yes!" I shouted to myself, punching my fist into the air.

The ear-to-ear grin on my face never seemed to fade as I sat on the subway towards home, when I walked my neighborhood streets; and as I ate dinner with my family. Despite our age differences, my parents were happy for my success. The endless possibilities of dates and meetings continued to flood my thoughts even as I lay in bed, smiling at the ceiling.

From that moment nothing would stop me from fulfilling my promises to Raquél. If she was happy I was happy.

As for tomorrow I had yet to face another challenge: Controlling my emotions when I would see my crush in a bikini.

**Raquél **

_Dear Diary,_

_Would somebody please pinch me? I think I'm on Cloud 9… As it turns out, things between Enriqué and I are better than ever and now he wants to take me out on a date! I don't know what to think. I'm just so excited that he has real feelings for me. And no, this isn't like the last time. There's no doubt that Enriqué likes me for who I am. The sparkle in his eyes, the blush on his cheeks, the way my heart melts around him—this is real. The kiss said it all._

_I have no doubts about him. Perhaps the reason he never spoke to me before was because most of the time, the Superiors were on my tail. But then I remember him telling me that he abandoned the group because of me. Because of _me_ he wanted to make a change for the better. He took sympathy for me but didn't ignore me and move on like everyone else. Along with Felicia and Eva, they all want to be friends with me and protect me during school. They accept me... They care. I'm still so thankful to Aunt Mary for showing me that life has much more in store for me, and all I had to do was wait. Besides love, I believe that patience conquers all. _

_As for following my heart, the outcome that I once feared would be disastrous turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Now if Enriqué eventually wants a relationship, I won't rush things even if it's the way we kiss. As long as we took things slowly I would never have to worry about getting my heart broken. _

_With all my heart I trusted that he would eventually become The One._

Later that evening my mother came home to find that that I was giddy with excitement. She became a teenager again, jumping with joy at the news of our kiss.

"Oh, my God, he kissed you? How was it?" she gasped in fascination as we shared a large bowl of popcorn. The late-night movie continued on mute while we exchanged careless whispers, remaining careful not to wake my younger siblings.

Still in complete awe hours after the kiss, I hardly realized my mother's doting gesture of playing with my curls.

"It was indescribable, Mami. And he was so gentle; I knew that he meant it. He told me that he would protect me… Enriqué truly likes me," I said.

"Well, there's no doubt that he would do anything to make sure that you have someone to trust. Luckily for him he won't have to wonder what it's like to be with such a beautiful and talented girl."

At that moment I could smile appreciatively because I no longer denied my beauty.

"Still… I don't want to attract too much attention to my body. I mean, I don't want him to think that I wore a bikini just to impress him," I fathomed doubtfully.

"Oh, baby, he won't. Just be yourself, stay confident and let your heart do the talking. You can never go wrong with that," my mother encouraged tenderly.

She was right. I did not have to work at being someone else because the best person that I could be was myself. Enriqué would accept me no matter what. As long as I let my heart talk for me.

**~RMCR~**

**Saturday**

That morning, it seemed as though things were finally going right for once. Whether by luck or sheer coincidence, the early December winter picked the perfect day to heat things up to a rare 64 degrees.

Clad in the best bikini from my wardrobe and a simple dyed dress **(in profile)**,I eagerly extended my arm in a wave as I made my way outside. From her red convertible, Felicia returned the wave before summoning me over.

"Hey, Raquél!" she exclaimed cheerfully, which I found peculiar since Eva often out-cheered her.

"Hi, Felicia. Is this your car?" I questioned after she gave me a greeting kiss to each cheek.

She did not seem to mind once I climbed into the passenger seat, and glanced at me with a smile.

"No, my mom's. Are you excited?"

"Definitely. But I'm also kind of nervous."

I hoped that she would not conclude that my anxiety had to do with my feelings for Enriqué. But clearly, Felicia did not have to know me very long to see that I had a crush on her cousin. She made her guess in Spanish.

"Because Enriqué is going to be there?"

A flame of red crept onto my cheeks as I fought the urge to grin.

"Sort of… Yeah, I guess."

We comfortably chatted in our first language while Felicia pressed on the brakes at an intersection.

"He's pretty nervous, too. If he hasn't already confessed it to you, he really likes you. Every time me or Eva mentions you, he blushes like a little boy then tries to hide his smile… He never liked Maya—even when they were dating."

"He didn't?" I asked in disbelief.

"He _hates_ Maya. Sure, they went out, but that was because he had no way of escaping. Personally, I'm not even afraid of her but Quique didn't dare try to break up with her. Their relationship wasn't real… He has too much of a heart to be with someone like her," Felicia said, and leaned over to give me a hinting nudge.

I believed her with all my heart, but could it be true? Enriqué was the cute, popular guy who could have any girl in school that he wanted. Instead, he only wanted me. I had never felt so special.

"He told me that he liked me yesterday—and I knew it for a while. But, why me? He's 19… Why would he be interested in a 14 year old when he can date a girl his age?"

Felicia only shrugged at my bewilderment, not knowing the real reason herself.

"I have no idea. I guess age doesn't matter to him. All I know is that he knows in his heart that you're an extraordinary girl and you should give him a chance. He's a real sweetheart."

I folded my lips together as they tingled in memory of his kiss. Traces of his masculine scent continued to waft from my hair into my nose, a comforting substitution for his absence.

"He does seem pretty genuine about dating me. And I like him too… Did he tell you that we kissed?"

Nearly swerving off the road at my reply, Felicia gasped in shock as she turned to me.

"_¡__N'hombre! _You kissed? That's so sweet!" she cooed.

"It wasn't a dramatic kiss, just a… long, gentle kiss," I blushed.

"What was it like? I mean, you had to have felt _something_."

"I don't know if I can describe it in words how I felt—it was like I could sense that he wanted to protect me; like he wanted to give me his heart. Has Enriqué ever broken a promise, Felicia?"

"Quique? Never! For as long as I've known him—and that's a long time—he's never broken a promise to me or anyone else. If he can't make a promise for some reason, he doesn't say 'I promise.' Instead, he'll try his absolute best to make it happen. He always makes sure that we're in good hands… We all look out for each other," she said.

On our way into the crowded city, Felicia patiently idled behind a double-decked tour bus carrying visiting passengers. While they rushed to snap as many pictures as they could, I shifted an unimpressed glance towards the towering screen and watched the repeating lineup of "Sights to See."

"Wow… I wish I had friends to look out for me," I murmured, resting my head against the corner of my seat.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle palm rest on top of my shoulder, and when I tore my gaze away from the heart of Times Square, I found a reassuring smile that showed me that I now had a shoulder to lean on.

"Don't worry…" she began. "You already do."

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué **

Eager to see Raquél for the first time in what seemed like months, I kept stealing a peek through the blinds at my cousin's house. Meanwhile, Eva and my aunt prepared a buffet of snacks in the kitchen. I had left the _Picadillo_ nearly burning on the stove.

"Quique, get away from there. If you keep looking for them it'll only take longer. _¡__Vamanos!_ Come back here and finish cook this _Picadillo_," my aunt called hastily.

Knowing that I could never win a battle with Felicia's mother of all people, I reluctantly returned to my post at the stove.

"My God, Enriqué. You're like a little boy on Christmas morning."

"Isn't he? I think it's so adorable!" Eva squealed.

"What can I say? I can't help it sometimes… This is the girl of my dreams we're talking about. Today has to be perfect."

As I sprinkled another handful of spices into the pot of beef, my aunt leaned over and inhaled the aroma.

"With that cooking she'll certainly be impressed. You're not even in college yet and you're a better cooker than Juan," she laughed.

"You're right. _T__í__o_ isn't exactly a master chef—"

"They're here!" Eva's sudden gasp caught my attention.

As usual, my heart began to race and butterflies stirred in the pit of my stomach.

My cousin, shrieking with excitement, rushed out through the rear entrance and onto the patio to meet Raquél and Felicia. The family's dog named Papi quickly followed and yipped with a friendly bark. Meanwhile, I spent the next two minutes pleading with my aunt to take over at the stove. When she finally let me go, I quickly washed my hands and made my way onto the pool deck.

I found my petite infatuation placing her satchel onto a lounge chair as she talked to Felicia about wanting her own puppy for her Quinceañera. Her back was turned to me, and, blissfully unaware of my presence, she grabbed the hem of her sundress. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest. I knew that beneath that dress were the endless curves that mesmerized me and the dimples that constantly teetered me on the verge of arousal. Raquél staggered to regain her balance, and as the dress rustled over her curls, they fell and swung against her lower back.

Through the glass ceiling a spotlight from heaven seemed to cascade over her shoulders, revealing that she was indeed a fallen angel. I hoped that Heaven had sent Raquél just for me. She was as beautiful as ever, which left me to imagine what hidden treasures rest beneath her swimsuit. Her nearly exposed frame indisputably caused the gears in my head to grind.

The pair of halos that trapped the emerald pools in her eyes twinkled coyly once our gazes locked. A grin rose at the corner of her lips. Raquél was not just beautiful anymore, but had this mysterious innocence that I found to be agonizingly sexy.

_Hormones, don't fail me now. _

**This chapter was so emotional and powerful and I hope it gave you an even clearer view of how Raquél really feels from Enriqué's perspective. Please bear with me—I'll try to get the next chapter out and balance this with my homework. Also for AFFMB I will also be posting soon so look out for both posts. Thank you for reading and as always… Review!**


	15. Strides

**Thank you for the feedback for the last chapter, but unfortunately, I'm going to be leaving Massachusetts on Thursday so this will be the last updated chapter until August. Since we don't have high speed internet in the Virgin Islands I will have to write out my chapters and wait until I return to type and post them. But in the meantime, enjoy this chapter and review because I made it extra-long just for you. Thank you for being so patient with me.**

**Chapter 15: Strides**

**Enriqué**

Raquél stood before me clad in a simple black bikini, but the sight could've have been more tempting.

I prayed that her gorgeous figure would not set off a disastrous chain of events. I struggled to keep my gaze focused on her melted green irises instead of the light birthmark that was stamped on her left hip. Where the waistband of her swimsuit bottom began, the wings of what appeared to be a dove beckoned to me.

Finally regaining my ability to speak, I wanted to slap myself as I stammered, "H-Hi Raquél."

A blush of anticipation illuminated her features as she shyly tucked a curl behind her ear. If only she knew what the gesture did to me.

"Hi, Enriqué."

It came as no surprise once I found reality fading into thin air, leaving me to watch the angel on her pedestal. We both stood observing each other in silence, which proved to be louder than words. Suddenly a teasing remark from my cousin abruptly snapped me out of my hankering trance.

"Hey, Quique! Need a defibrillator?" Eva called, followed by her shrieking laugh.

Raquél seemed to snap out of a trance of her own. Hoping not to break eye contact, she then attempted to drop her dress onto the chair behind her. Instead, the article crumpled to the floor on the opposite side.

A catastrophic result was not too far behind.

"My bad," she laughed nervously.

Felicia and Eva shifted their repressed gazes toward me, their foretelling features glowing with amusement. While resting her right knee and left hand on the chair for support, Raquél outstretched her free arm to grab the dress.

All hell broke loose on my hormones once her curls tumbled off to the side, revealing the pair of deep indentations on her lower back that usually drove me over the edge. I felt the blood being drained from my face and sucked out of my hands and my brain; and I panicked as I realized that it was rushing to somewhere else. My muscles grew taut at the tingling sensation, which threatened to expose how I really felt about Raquél.

"I have to go to… to the bathroom," I murmured, and nearly collided with the table before rushing off into the house.

From the couch where she sat watching television, my aunt turned to me in concern as I skipped up the stairway. Then I locked myself into the bathroom. Pacing back and forth beside the shower, I fought to rid my thoughts of naughty images.

Why did she have to be so beautiful, so unaware of her own sex appeal? I looked down to survey the damage, and groaned to myself in frustration when I found an erection protruding from my board shorts.

"Stop it, you fucking creep. She's 14, for Pete's sake!" I scolded myself, hastily running my hands through my hair.

What would I do?

This was my first erection and I had no knowledge of getting rid of it. I did not want Raquél to think that I was some kind of pervert. Her body was not the only aspect of her that I found attractive. Knowing that I could not spend the rest of the morning hiding in the bathroom, I replaced the mental image of Raquél's perfect body with the one person I knew who could never compete with her beauty.

**Raquél**

I was left on the patio confused after Enriqué ran into the house for no reason. While I reached for my fallen garment, bursts of laughter had erupted above my head. He was gone.

"W-what happened? Did I do something?" I questioned nervously.

Felicia and Eva nearly collapsed to the floor as they leaned against each other for support.

"Let's just say that you have a big effect on him."

"Huh?"

"Don't you see what's happened? You bent down in full view of him and he ran away covering his crotch. The boy's seriously turned on by you!" Eva giggled.

Shocked, I could not help but think that my dimples were the cause of Enriqué's embarrassing escape.

"Oh, I guess he saw my dimples… They're kind of embarrassing when someone notices them," I admitted.

"Well, lower back dimples _are_ usually known for being sexy."

Soon Felicia's mother emerged from the house with a large platter of appetizers and set them onto a table.

"Es bueno conocerte (it's good to meet you), Raquél. I'm Gloria, but you can call me _Tía_."

Welcoming me as more than a guest, she planted a kiss on each of my cheeks before offering me the blend of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican appetizers.

"I wasn't sure whether you preferred just the Puerto Rican snacks or a mixture of ours," she said in her strong accent.

At the corner of the platter sat a sample of one of my favorite dishes in a small bowl, and I hesitantly reached for the meat.

"Is it okay if I try the _Picadillo_? It's my favorite."

Letting out an astonished laugh, Gloria exchanged glances with her daughter and nodded eagerly.

"¡Claro que sí, _Querida_! Quique made a whole batch earlier so I can bring out some more if you'd like."

"Enriqué made this? This is the best Picadillo I've ever had!" I gasped after taking a bite of the delicious spiced beef.

Discovering that Enriqué knew how to cook struck me as a rare quality that made him even more attractive. He was not a guy who expected women to cook for him because he was too compassionate. Felicia was right about his determination to make sure that people around him would not have to carry a burden. He was perfect.

Enriqué returned soon after; and as Eva grasped my arm to guide me towards the pool, I quickly avoided eye contact with him. Slightly flustered after the incident that had occurred moments ago, I decided that starting an immediate conversation was much too awkward. As I swam a few short laps in the water Felicia complemented my swimsuit.

"I love that bikini of yours—it's so cute. Aren't those, like, reggae colors?"

"Yes, they are. I got it the last time I went to Jamaica," I replied.

"Ohh, do you go there for vacation?"

"Sometimes… Only because my father has family there. I'm half-Jamaican."

"Cool! So does that mean that you can understand what they're saying? 'Cause I don't," Eva said.

"Of course. Sometimes if I spend a whole summer there I come back with a slight accent," I giggled.

Enriqué silently swam beside me, his large biceps rippling as his arms cut a path through the water.

"I never would've guessed that. You speak really good English for knowing two languages."

Blushing, I giggled again as I tugged on a stray curl.

"Actually, I speak full Italian too, but thank you."

"Impressive. You're good at everything… I bet you're good at sports, too," he grinned.

Felicia and Eva let out mutual groans of disinterest, sensing that he was more eager to talk about testosterone-fueled activities instead of academics. He would be pleasantly surprised to find out my favorite sport.

"Not really. I suck at volleyball and I'm too accident-prone to lift any weights. But I do have a favorite sport… I like Football," I said, slowly treading closer to him.

Clearly shocked, Enriqué looked as if he had won the lottery at the interest I shared with him. The corners of his mouth rose to a smile.

"Seriously? I've never seen you at the school games."

"Oh, no. I stay away from those because of the chaos, but I'm a _huge_ Giants fan. My dad used to take me to games all the time when I was little," I replied.

"A Giants fan, too? We should get together for Sunday and watch the game… _Mi Tío_ hosts all the family game nights," he suggested before reaching for a football beside the pool.

I glanced over at Felicia for permission, and she shrugged lazily in approval.

"Why not? It'll be even more fun with you here."

"Ohh! I'm coming too!" Eva squealed.

With a challenging yet playful gleam in his eyes Enriqué carefully tossed the ball in my direction, allowing me to easily catch it between my palms. Using the techniques I had learned from years of observing football athletes, I adjusted my grip on the ball before hurling it back.

"Wow. You have a perfect form, and a good arm. You would completely dominate the girls… Why don't you join whenever we play football in gym class?" he questioned.

"Have you seen the whole class compared to me? Everyone's, like, ten feet taller than me—I would get crushed if I even tried to catch the ball!"

The threesome burst into quiet laughter, which slightly shocked me because I never thought that I was funny. The game of catch between Enriqué and I continued while our eyes flickered back and forth. They would lock for a moment then bashfully drop to the water once we realized that we had been silently flirting. Occasionally his eyes would scan every part of my face starting from my eyes and ears, before lingering on my lips. The gaze would always settle on my collarbone before drifting back up to my eyes, and I would find his crooked grin.

Unlike the many boys I had encountered gawking hungrily at my body many times before, Enriqué gazed into the window of my soul, eager to delve further into my very core. It was a look that almost pleaded with me to trust him.

"What's your least favorite sport? The sport that you absolutely hate?" he asked randomly.

As I caught the football between my fingers again, I glanced down at its laces in contemplation, wondering if I ever had a hatred for any sport. Then I was reminded of the school athlete who left me unable to trust Enriqué as quickly as I wanted to.

"Basketball…"

While nodding in mutual agreement, Enriqué sensed the reason for my dislike.

"Yeah. Me too," he said, and smiled at my short cringe.

Felicia and Eva eventually wandered off to the Jacuzzi tub caught up in their own conversation, leaving me alone with Enriqué. Moments ago, Gloria had ventured off to run a few errands. Once out of sight, he caught the football one last time and swam towards me. My legs trembled beneath the water as he boldly tilted my chin upwards, tracing his thumb along the edge of my jawline.

"Have I told you that you look beautiful today? I, um, hope you don't mind my saying," he whispered to me.

I deeply valued his caution in moving things at a slow, steady pace. He knew that I was not quite ready to move into a relationship too rapidly.

"Thank you… And you're a really amazing cook. I never expected a guy to cook for a bunch of girls."

"Remember, I'm not like other guys. You deserve to relax instead of carrying this entire burden on your shoulders. I'll carry it for you."

While the coy conversation drifted into his progress in English class, I quickly began to learn that he had a desire for knowledge, as much as most concluded that he was just "getting tutored" just to stay on the football team. He wanted more than his current status as a school athlete and wanted to be known as the guy who dared to find himself and escape from the crowd. He wanted to graduate high school and college; he wanted to make something of himself. His dreams of wanting to become a professional football athlete seemed a little farfetched at first, but I could see that he was determined to make his dreams come true. I had faith in him.

Just as the late morning had gone by smoothly, the late afternoon was starting to get better by the minute. I laughed a little more with my new friends, and my inhibitions could be released without any worries about being judged. Enriqué and I decided to migrate to the Jacuzzi while Felicia and Eva went to the pool.

Suddenly the faint slam of a car door caught our attentions. Unable to glance over the stained glass doors from her perspective, Felicia craned her neck before climbing out of the pool.

"Is that Mama? I thought she said that she was going to be home later—Oh-no…"

I knew that something had to be wrong by the way she stood frozen in place, her eyes widening with disbelief. Curious to find out what her friend saw, Eva also wandered beside her to investigate and followed her outside. The door leading out of the patio rattled shut, and Enriqué and I sat still to make out the muffled voices.

My heart dropped when I recognized the menacing bark.

"You have no business coming here—"

"_Open the fucking gate now!" _

It was Maya! Almost immediately I sensed that I was in for a storm of vengeful remarks. This day must have been a dream all along, because I felt as if I had been suddenly tossed into a nightmare.

My tormentor gasped in outrage once she found Enriqué's arm draped across my shoulder. I quickly removed his arm, but it was no use.

"You little slut! How dare you come onto _my_ boyfriend like that!" she screeched.

Her towering presence and the rage in her eyes intimidated me enough to send me backing into the wall of the tub. My chest grew tight, my stomach churned and my breaths escaped in almost hyperventilating gasps. She was determined to break me in front of my friends. But Enriqué quickly came to my rescue.

"First of all, she wasn't coming onto me and secondly, I am _not_ your boyfriend."

Maya only crossed her arms and scoffed.

"I believe whoever has the balls in the relationship gets to decide when it's over, and—oops! That's me! You don't dump me, _I _dump _you_."

"What relationship? We never had one… I never liked you!" he retaliated while stepping out of the hot tub to confront her.

Meanwhile Eva rushed to my side and spoke words of reassurance to me; though I dreaded the onset of tears. After letting out a huff, the piercing ring of a slap echoed throughout the patio as Maya swiped her palm across his face.

"That was for being the worst boyfriend ever! You never once had sex with me or even touched me for that matter; and you should be embarrassed for being seen with that whore!" she screamed, then grabbed a half-empty can of soda and attempted to hurl it at me. Thinking quickly, Enriqué let the liquid splash over his arm before the can could hit me.

With the support of Eva I managed to defend myself, my voice trembling.

"I am not a whore! Please stop calling me that," I pleaded.

"Oh, really? Who was the one getting fucked behind the bleachers, huh? You're such a dumb bitch, you know that? No one likes you…"

"_Shut up, Maya!_ Just shut your big mouth—all you talk is bullshit! Raquél's never done a thing to you and you and your stupid friends do nothing but harass her! And if anyone here is a slut, it's _you_. Quique's not stupid; he knew all along that you were cheating on him!" Felicia suddenly yelled.

The threat of a fight wore immensely on my mind once I spotted her fearlessly approaching Maya, who stood frozen in shock. A flash of fear gleamed in her eyes, but she quickly stood her ground, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"Why don't you stay out of this? This has nothing to do with you," she scoffed lowly.

Their faces separated by mere inches, Felicia silently analyzed Maya from head to toe and shrugged carelessly.

"Raquél is my friend. What the hell are you going to do…? Fight me?"

The two girls stood exchanging stony glances, the tension in the air threatening to suffocate us all. Eventually, it became clear that Maya's old wounds had opened up once again, and she could not stand her ground as firmly as she thought. Early wrinkles of intimidation appeared on her forehead. Perhaps the only person that Maya was afraid of was Felicia.

"You're still just a jealous bitch…" Maya hissed and spun around on her heels before storming off outside.

No one except for me flinched as the sharp slam of the door echoed. Although I now had friends to keep me together when words threatened to break me, I knew that the battle was far from over. The humiliating confrontation left me deeply shaken and unable to recover.

Thankfully, I was reminded that I was not alone.

**Enriqué**

My heart ached for the shaken girl once I found the fear lingering in her eyes. The patio door slammed shut, and only then did Raquél release a sharp exhale. Maya had gotten her right where she wanted, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Tears began to pool in her eyes as I tread towards her and grasped her palm.

"Are you okay, Raquél?"

Avoiding my gaze, she shook her head as if to dismiss the incident and replied, "Don't mind me. I-I cry too much, anyway."

Attempting to cover up the lie she bit her quivering bottom lip, only to choke back a sob. Overcome with humiliation, Raquél could no longer suppress her emotions. Felicia and Eva quickly returned to her side, where they made their frantic efforts to soothe her. We waited patiently, not knowing what to do until she eventually mustered the courage to speak.

"She's just… relentless. I thought that I was having a great day until she showed up and ruined it completely. What did I ever do to her?" she murmured forlornly.

"Don't let that one incident ruin the rest of your day. You can still have a good time—it's not worth wasting your tears on her," Felicia encouraged her, reaching out to wipe her tears.

Raquél continued to cry and hid her face between her palms so that we would not see her tears. Without realizing what an affect her presence had on me, she distractedly leaned into my chest with a silent plea for comfort. Though I had wanted to keep my distance until she was ready for physical contact, I cautiously embraced her in my arms. In her distressed condition she didn't seem to notice the pad of my thumb brushing beneath her eyes.

"I know. But sometimes I don't know what to do. It's just so unfair that she treats me this way! It's so embarrassing sometimes."

"Don't be embarrassed. She's the one who should be embarrassed. You're everything she wants to be and it's obvious that she puts you down just to feel better about herself," I said to her.

She shook her head in denial, doubtful that Maya of all people wanted to be like her. It saddened me to think that Raquél continued to doubt herself for being such an amazing girl.

"How?"

"Because you're a million times better than her; starting with your flawless beauty and your intelligence. Maya's just a jealous bitch 'cause she knows that she can't compete with you. You're special, Raquél—very special! I've seen your name on the Tristate Academic Honor's list,_ and_ you've been voted student of the year by the administration because of your high GPA. I mean, the school's highest rank is 4.0 but they had to raise it to 7.0 because of you! Almost every state university in New York and across the country wants you… so, please don't listen to what she says because she'll end up washing bed sheets at the Holiday Inn while you'll find the cure for cancer or something," Felicia fathomed giggling.

Raquél finally managed to crack a smile.

"Thank you so much for encouraging me. My mom tells me the exact same thing, except she thinks that Maya will end up in a much worse place than Holiday Inn," she laughed softly, which warmed my heart.

"You're, like, a super genius and on top of that you're drop-dead gorgeous. I know it seems like a stupid reason to be bullied, but it's hard. I know how you feel," Eva said, the personal subject quickly striking a nerve. When I looked into my cousin's eyes, I was surprised to find tears.

Knowing that she finally had someone who understood what she had been through, Raquél walked out of my embrace and pulled Eva into a hug.

"I'm glad you understand. I thought that I was alone this whole time," she murmured.

"I do… I know how hard it is. No matter how much you try and try to be strong they just seem to know your weakness. They'll stop at nothing to watch you break. But you're not alone, Raquél. We can fight this together—I know it."

Raquél knew that she now had us to depend on, who reminded her that she deserved to be treated like a human being. It didn't take long for Eva's cheerful personality to resurface, and Raquél exhaled a relieved laugh as my cousin tightened the embrace around her.

"You're the most genuine people I've ever met. I know that I can trust all of you because I'm finally starting to be comfortable with myself. I am so relieved that I'm not alone anymore… Maybe this is what my aunt was talking about."

With the confrontation now behind us, her mood had brightened once we began to swim again. Her bubbly personality had begun to emerge more and more as the afternoon progressed into early evening. She had a cute laugh, which began with a surge of giggles and always ended with a high-pitched squeak as she inhaled. While attempting to hide her laugh, she told me that she had her mother's laugh and clamped her palm over her lips. But I quickly encouraged her not to cover up her laugh because I was secretly soothed by the sound.

To my dismay my aunt had returned and decided that we'd spent enough time in the pool.

"Okay, you two… _¡__Afuera!_ Out of the pool. It's getting late," she ordered, making a gentle gesture towards the door.

While Felicia and Eva had wandered into the house minutes before, Raquél and I remained savoring the last few moments we had with each other.

"Coming, Mom," I teased lightly.

Once my aunt left casting back a warning glare at me, Raquél bit her bottom lip in contemplation, as if she were hesitant to tell me something.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her.

"Oh, nothing,"

Fearing that the truth would burst through her emerald irises, she let her eyes drop beneath the surface and shut them. The lights that lined the edge of the pool illuminated her features.

"Are you sure?"

"Honestly, i-it's nothing," she stammered, her cheeks burning scarlet.

Fully aware that my aunt would soon return to scold me for my lack of obedience, Raquél made a beeline for the short ladder that led out of the pool. Her safety became my main concern as she began to climb the steep ladder, the slick metal threatening to cause an accidental slip. My eyes instinctively followed her curves, which rose from the water to reveal her hips, and her alluring dimples. Once her left foot was planted on the very last and highest step, I decided that she would need assistance.

Without regarding whether or not she was going to be comfortable with my help, I reached my palm out and cupped her lower hip in an effort to push her onto the deck. Between the bottom of her ribcage and the curve of her hip, my hand fit like a puzzle piece. Although I had never intended for my thumb to sink into one of her dimples, she took my support the wrong way. Her back arched in surprise and she quickly spun around on the deck, sending me a silent, almost darkened stare.

"S-sorry… I just wanted to make sure that you didn't fall," I explained nervously.

Her eyes squinted with a combination of skepticism and belief.

"Um, okay."

It seemed as though the small patio had begun to close in on us once the air thickened with awkward tension. Silently, she dug through her tote bag for a towel and discreetly asked for directions for the bathroom. Still dripping wet, I wandered into the living room where my relatives stared in curiosity. Once she climbed to the top of the stairs they crowded around me, eager to "get the scoop" on what had happened between us in their short absences.

"Quit badgering me about her! Honestly, nothing happened between us," I denied, disregarding the harmless incident that occurred minutes before.

Taking my word for it, my cousins resumed watching their film while my aunt shrugged and returned to her sewing machine. Felicia never encouraged her mother to bring her work to home, but Aunt Gloria could not resist sending Raquél home without offering a small token of her gratitude.

The distant blare of a horn soon indicated that Raquél's mother had arrived. Felicia and Eva became caught up in a playful scuffle to receive the first departing hugs from her. My soaring spirits had slightly dwindled, but I did not let my dismay stop me from making sure that I was the last to feel her embrace before she left. I saw that an accessory of hers had been left on the patio table, yet I didn't say anything. It was not the last time I planned on seeing her that night.

As Raquél made her way towards the front gate, she shivered in the late winter chill. She stopped in her tracks and gazed up at me once she felt the warm blanket of heat radiating from my jacket.

"Oh, Enriqué. Tell everyone that I thank them so much for inviting me. Today has been so much fun and despite what happened with Maya, I'm happy that you want to take me out on a date. I… can't wait for tomorrow," she said in a whisper, and bit her bottom lip in the cutest manner.

The urge to tilt her chin up and kiss her passionately weighed heavily on my thoughts, but I could not help but think about the tirade I would be welcomed with courtesy of her waiting mother. I decided not to play with fire and tucked a curl behind her ear instead.

"Me neither. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Like the gentleman I was, I affectionately brought her palm towards my lips and pressed a kiss to her soft knuckles. Raquél suppressed a bashful giggle before backing out the gate, seemingly unable to take her eyes off of me.

"You, too. Bye," she smiled, sending me a faint wave.

"Goodbye, Raquél."

I watched her cross the empty street and hop into the car, which sped off once she shut the door.

Satisfied with my courteous gesture, all my thoughts expressed about the eventful day was: "Mission accomplished."

**Raquél**

I was no longer alone. For once in my life I'd begun to feel hope and joy in knowing that people outside of my family cared about me. Their admiration for me became evident when they stood up for me during Maya's unwelcomed visit. Especially Enriqué.

Although I was becoming quick friends with Felicia and Eva, there seemed to be a much stronger connection between Enriqué and me. That afternoon I learned that he was not just a boy who intended to sail his way past high school like every other athlete.

He was adamant about his grades in school and showed a great extent of gratitude for the opportunities he'd been given. Growing up as a poverty-stricken child in Cuba, deprived of simple conveniences like food and clothes, it was understandable how grateful he was. He kept a sense of pride and affection for his family, who he thought deserved the best life he could provide. While telling me about his dreams and goals, his gaze never faltered against mine, but tunneled into my very core as if he wanted me to be a part of his vision. No matter how big or small that part was going to be, I intended to let my heart guide me without hesitation.

"He's pretty tall compared to you. I think that you look adorable beside him, but you've still got to introduce me to the boy," my mother spoke to my reflection as she gazed into the mirror to remove her business suit. I still wondered how she managed to remain gorgeously petite after enduring six childbirths.

"Maybe you will tomorrow. Enriqué wants to take me to the movies," I said blushing.

"How sweet! My baby is going on a date with a guy who actually cares about her."

Her cynicism was understandable, and only revealed the relief she felt for my safety. She trusted that Enriqué would not hurt me like Carlos, then expressed her opinions of the small but touching gestures in which I confessed to. She giggled in disbelieving amusement when I recalled the kiss he had given me on top of my palm.

"My daughter's going to be dating Prince Charming. Shall we find a pumpkin and hope it turns into a horse-drawn carriage?" she teased lightheartedly.

"Mami! ¡Eso no es gracioso (that's not funny)!"

"I'm just kidding, baby. But on a serious note, that was a very sweet thing for him to consider what you're comfortable with. He's in no rush to make out with you. Any other boy and I would've ripped his lips off for trying to make a move on you."

"Well his patience keeps me assured that he won't rush into things. I mean, at Felicia's house, it sometimes seemed like he wanted to put his hand around my waist or kiss me. But he's so cautious around me because he doesn't want to give me the wrong message. I trust him because of that."

"And I trust _you_ because I know that you won't make the same mistakes as the last time. I'm proud of you for establishing you own limits with him so that he knows that you want to take things slow," she praised with a warm smile, which only meant that she no longer worried about the decisions I would make from then on.

"Thank you, Mami."

After I left my mother's bedroom and shut the door behind me, I began to head towards my own bedroom when the house rang with the sound of the doorbell.

"¿Quién está en la puerta, Mamá?" I heard my mother call from the opposite end of the hallway.

"I don't know, but I'm not going to check by myself."

Growing suspicious, she quickly emerged from her room and took my hand as we carefully approached the foyer. She took a short glance through the peephole in the door, but her nose wrinkled when she did not recognize the person. All she knew was that the person was Hispanic.

"¿Quién eres?" she questioned aloud.

My heart leapt once the unidentified visitor spoke.

"Enriqué."

Biting back an excited squeal, I quickly opened the front door. The presence of my mother must have intimidated him even though he was much taller than her.

"Raquél… H-hi," he stammered nervously, which I found cute.

Expecting to be greeted in a respectable manner, my mother thrust her palm towards him, almost insisting that he shook it.

"Buenas noches, Enriqué. Soy Señorita Montez, pero me puedes llamar Gabriella."

Looking somewhat stunned and relieved, Enriqué gave her hand a gentle shake and politely returned the greeting.

"Es muy bueno conocerte, Señora."

"So, what brings you here so late?" I interjected.

Almost self-consciously, his gaze flickered towards the floor, and he began to dig through his jean pocket.

"You, um, left this at Licia's house," he said, and held my hair band in front of my face.

My mother and I both knew that he did not really come to my house to return the forgotten item, and she found this particularly amusing. She leaned against the doorframe and smirked.

"You drove all the way down here… to return a scrunchie?"

Mortified, I gave her a sharp elbow to the ribcage, signaling for her to leave me alone with Enriqué.

"_Ay,_ bendice su corazón (bless his heart)," she strolled away, laughing quietly to herself.

I had not yet confessed my own feelings for him, but it was my time now.

We both sat on the floor of the corridor after I closed the front door. I extended my palm towards him so that he could slide the accessory onto my wrist.

"You didn't really come here to give me this, did you? Because my mom will never let me live this down."

Cautiously, he reached for my left hand and cradled it between his large palms. My entire arm tingled as he distractedly brushed his thumb across my fingers.

"Not really. I just wanted to see you again," he confessed in Spanish, a deep blush rising on his cheeks.

"Aww, you're so sweet."

For a few seconds we remained in comfortable silence, not knowing what else to say as we watched a resident or two retreat into their own separate apartments. Earlier that day, it seemed as though we had talked about almost everything expect for our feelings. I realized that Enriqué had given me the consent to reveal how I really felt about him once I found him gazing into my eyes.

"Why do you stare at me like that?" I couldn't help but giggle.

After snapping out of his trance, his forehead wrinkled in confusion as if he was unaware of my observation.

"Like what?"

"Well, maybe you haven't realized this, but you stare at me with this… look in your eyes—with this sparkle. And even though I can't tell what it is, I feel like I can be myself around you."

"I like who you are. Why work hard at being someone else when you don't have to work at all just to be yourself?" he cleverly pointed out while playing with the curls that lay draped over my arm.

Though I was already mindful of his reasons for crushing on me, I wanted to hear his voice fall hushed and watch his eyes melt as he explained what he found attractive about me.

"What do you like about me, Enriqué?"

"What do_ I_ like about you? Well, I could go on forever because I've never met anyone like you… I like your stunning green eyes, your beautiful smile and your pouty lips. You have a great personality, the best sense of humor and an extremely cute laugh. And you're the most intelligent person I've ever met. Also…" he trailed off coyly, which left me wondering why he was so hesitant to continue.

"What?"

"You always smell like Vanilla and Coconut. Those are actually my two favorite scents. The coconut especially reminds me of Cuba."

"Really? It used to be Lavender but I've changed my shampoos since… Um, nevermind," I murmured, unwilling to explain my change in taste for fragrances.

His smile seemed to tug on my heartstrings, drawing me closer to him as I mustered the courage to confess what attracted me to him. The butterflies in my stomach began to climb up my throat and emerged from my lips as anxious, trembling breaths. I took daring little strides while inching my way closer to him. His palms quivered as I tightened my grip around them.

"Do you know what I like about you?"

Remaining cautious, he draped one bulky arm around my shoulders and said, "Tell me."

"First of all, you're very sweet and you have a lot of confidence in yourself. You're smart and funny… What's even better is that you're honest, extremely protective, respective and caring. Felicia told me that you hate your dimples because everyone compares you to Mario Lopez; but I think that they're cute," I giggled for a moment. "And you're pretty determined to work towards your dreams to make them come true, no matter how farfetched they might seem to some. You don't give up when you're faced with a challenge, and I have faith in you. It usually takes a lot for me to trust someone, but… I trust you."

Enriqué's features settled into a combination of relief and excitement. Beside my ear I heard his heart beating fervently as if it were going to burst out of his chest and fall into my hands. I found his brown eyes glazed over with affection as he titled my chin up, tracing his thumb along my jawline.

"Have I told you that you make my heart race?" he whispered, his lips slowly descending towards mine. My senses came alive in anticipation of a kiss.

"No… but I can feel it."

Our lips were on the verge of meeting in a kiss that would seal my trust for him.

Suddenly, we jumped apart as the door beside us swung open, and out stepped my mother.

I felt my cheeks burning with embarrassment as she emerged wearing her usual evening attire: a pair of cotton shorts and a fitted tank top, which was short enough to reveal her belly button ring. As an unintended accessory, my baby sister rest on her hip sleeping. The slight upturn at the corners of her mouth showed that she had caught us leaning in.

"_Oye, Mamita._ I need help putting everyone to bed."

Silently fuming, I tried not to let my outrage boil over in front of Enriqué, then requested to say goodbye alone.

"Okay, but make it quick… It was nice meeting you, Enriqué," she told him before disappearing into the house.

But the damage was already done, and the interruption had left my confidence shaken.

"I'm sorry about that," I apologized as he helped me to my feet.

"Don't worry, Raquél. At least I still got my wish."

"Which was…?"

"I wished for you to be the last person that I see before I go to sleep," he said, his eyes melting into mine.

I couldn't help a smile as he tilted my chin upward, guiding my lips towards his.

"Well, I gotta get home now. I'll pick you up around six tomorrow and we'll go to the movies," he proposed grinning.

But instead of capturing my lips in the kiss I'd been longing for, he leaned in and planted a firm yet gentle peck on my right cheek. My heart leapt for a moment then settled back down as he gave me a departing wink.

"Goodnight, Raquél."

"Night…" I called softly so that he would not hear the disappointment in my voice.

Obviously, my mother did not understand that I'd begun to view Enriqué as more than a friend. I dragged my feet into the house, where I came face to face with my mother, who looked as if she realized her mistake a minute too late.

"Oh, baby girl, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you two were about to kiss," she apologized, attempting to ease my frustration by placing her hand on my shoulder.

Silently, I shrugged her touch away and retreated towards my bedroom.

"Forget it…" I sighed.

"Hey, baby?"

Before I could escape to my bedroom to wallow in my misery for the rest of the night, my mother offered a touching statement that confirmed her approval of Enriqué. She lifted my chin and dropped a tender kiss on the tip of my nose.

"I saw the way his eyes melted when he looked at you. He's a really sweet boy, and I can tell that he's going to take very good care of you… I told you that he was right around the corner. And I have to agree with you: he is pretty cute," she smiled.

As I recalled the afternoon I came home in tears, I remembered the devastation that struck my self-esteem after Maya sneered that no boy would ever like me unless they wanted some kind of favor. My concerned mother quickly entered my bedroom, hesitantly knocking on the door. In the midst of my lament, she lifted me onto her lap and folded her palms on top of my thighs. She encouraged me by pointing out that I did not have to date multiple people just to fit in.

"People date because they haven't found their perfect match yet. Why risk missing Mr. Right if you're too busy trying to keep a genuine relationship with someone who will probably end up hurting you? God is saving someone special for you, and whether you believe it or not, he's right around the corner looking for you," she told me while wiping away my tears.

Back then, I doubted that a boy would one day make an appearance in my life and turn out to be "Mr. Right." Now that Enriqué proved to me that not every boy was going to leave me heartbroken, I believed that he was a potential match. Sheer fate, not coincidence led me to realize that I did not have to look far to find that one, special boy who accepted me no matter who I was.

It was better to not work at all to be myself than working hard at being someone else.

**What did you think of Enriqué's reaction to Raquél at the pool party? Or Maya's unexpected appearance? What about Raquél's confession to Enriqué? Some feedback would be encouraging ;). If you happen to see any typos, please let me know. I sometimes tend to miss them even when I proofread. Please REVIEW and so long until August! **


	16. Taking Heat

**Hey, all I'm back! This summer was one of the best for me and I'm sad that it had to end so quickly but I didn't forget about my Fanfiction family! I made sure to make this chapter 14 pages instead of my limit of 12 pages. Without texting each chapter and sending them to my Gmail account I would've never finished as quickly so I hope you enjoy. Chapter 17 is well on its way! :)) **

**Chapter 16: Taking Heat**

**Raquél**

As it turned out, Enriqué was not able to take me to the movies on Sunday due to a last minute game against the school rivals. He called me numerous times apologizing for the cancellation, but I forgave him because it was evident just how much he was looking forward to taking me to the movies.

We agreed on Monday after school, that was, if I could survive until then.

My trembling legs carried me through the corridor as I cautiously headed for my second class of the day. I remained on high alert after Maya's threats continued to haunt my every thought, and I feared what would happen if she decided to confront me. Although I had managed to evade the Superiors a few times that morning, there was no telling when Maya would ambush me no matter how high I kept my guard up.

I nearly jumped out of my skin once I felt a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders. But I was relieved to find Eva smiling down at me when I spun around.

"What's up, Raquél?' she asked enthusiastically.

"My God, you scared me!" I gasped, placing my hand against my chest.

"Oh, no I scared you? What's wrong?"

Hoping to remain discreet, I pulled her towards the side and away from the current of students.

"I'm just really nervous about running into Maya. She just… intimidates me so much that I-I can't even think straight; especially after she caught me and Enriqué together."

For the first time in six years I had a true friend that I knew would do anything to protect me, and as anxious as I felt about being alone, she confessed that her cousins were on the lookout for me.

"See? You have nothing to worry about because Quique's in your English class. He'll definitely make sure that Maya won't try to harm you," she reassured me as we came to a stop outside of the classroom.

Enriqué was already seated at the desk behind of mine, and his face broke into a grin once he spotted me in the doorway.

"He looks awfully happy to see you," she teased lightly. "I can imagine why. He's finally taking you on a date! I'll see you in a while, okay, Chica?'

"Okay. Bye, Eva."

Eva and I exchanged a quick hug before she hurried off to her own class.

After a short scope around the room to check for any signs of Maya, I eagerly made my way towards Enriqué and took my seat.

"Hey," I began shyly, which elicited an even cuter grin. "I saw your picture on the school newspaper. Congratulations on your win."

"Thank you, Raquél. How was your weekend?" he asked me.

"It was kind of boring… I did mostly babysitting and chores," I replied shrugging.

"I know that I must've apologized at least a hundred times yesterday, but still, I'm so, so sorry for canceling on you. I was really excited to go, and I would've concocted an excuse for my coach but he doesn't take well to missing team members for games."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Enriqué. I'm not mad if that's what you think."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Enriqué smiled again and placed his hand over mine.

"Oh. Well, how's your Monday morning treating you? I absolutely hate the first day of the week."

From the corner of the room I caught the few pairs of eyes staring at us, which nearly caused my insecurities to overwhelm me. I couldn't lie to Enriqué because I sensed that he had already familiarized himself to my emotions, hidden or not.

"Um, okay so far. It's just that I keep worrying about running into Maya after what happened on Saturday, She never liked me to begin with, and since you used to date her, I can't even imagine how much she must hate me right now," I said, casting a nervous glance towards the door.

Moments later I had to resist the urge to hide under my desk as Carlos and half of the Superiors made their arrival, led by Maya. Hoping to appear preoccupied, I picked up my pen and scribbled illegible letters onto my homework as she roughly shoved past me.

"Slut," she muttered loudly, caring less if the teacher overheard.

The name did not hurt my feelings as much as if caused my stomach to churn. Enriqué knew that I felt bad either way, and reached out to gently rub my right arm.

"Don't listen to her," he whispered to me.

During the much too easy lesson, I inwardly questioned my previous excuses for turning down recommendations for AP Literature.

"It's too fast paced for me," I lied to my teacher, when I truthfully wanted to avoid becoming more of a nerd than I already was. I should have listened to my mother when she encouraged me to take the class, then I could have avoided having the same classes as the Superiors. CP English was like 3rd grade work to me. That class became my first of many regrets I would have during my freshman year.

Losing my virginity was my most recent regret.

However, I had no regrets putting my trust in Enriqué wholeheartedly. So far, listening to my heart was beginning to reap its benefits for me.

"Mrs. Brown, I need to go to the nurse's office! My older sister has something to give me!" Lynn exclaimed urgently, nearly slapping Rosa in the face as she frantically waved her arm.

"Is it 'I need to go to the nurse's office' or 'may I go to the nurse's office'?"

The simple hint should have been obvious to Lynn, but the poor girl hardly knew left from right.

"How am I supposed to know if you need to go to the nurse? I'm talking about _me_," she replied dumbly, which incited a quiet burst of laughter among the class.

Some few moments before, her most recent boyfriend, Mike had wandered off to talk to the athletic coach. But around this time the coach was on his lunch break. Though I believed Lynn's story, my suspicions were aroused once I caught him and Maya exchanged silent, flirting glances.

While Mike had been missing for nearly half of the period, Lynn rushed out of the room before Maya soon complained of a stomachache and asked in the sweetest, most artificial voice to be excused to the bathroom. She clutched her slender abdomen as she made a weak beeline for the exit.

But I saw through her act and came to the shocking conclusion that she and Mike were seeing each other behind Lynn's back. It was a sad yet harsh reality about being a Superior. Not even a supposed "best friend" could be trusted.

My suspicions were confirmed once Maya returned 15 minutes later, followed by Mike after another three minutes. Lynn had made it back long before any of them had. His eyes were glazed over, his hair was damp and messy, and his jean zipper was pulled halfway up.

When he scooted past Maya, she faintly traced her tongue across her swollen upper lip and mouthed, "You taste delicious."

It disgusted me to think to imagine just what kind of casual sex they had engaged in. My sympathy went out to Lynn for the first time, because although I hated all the Superiors with a searing passion, she did not deserve to be cheated on and stabbed in the back at the same time.

Those were not the kind of relationships I wanted to have with Felicia and Eva, and with Enriqué there was no reason for me to worry.

**~RMCR~**

"Who's the slut now?" Felicia said in hysterics after I recalled what I saw that morning at lunch.

She seemed elated to have received the scandalous news, but I feared that if it were to get out the word would be traced back to her. Or worse… Me.

"I'm not one to pass judgment, but do you think you guys can keep this a secret? I don't want anyone to think that I started a rumor."

"Oh, don't worry, Raquél. _I _definitely won't say a thing… Hey! What do you say we make up a promise handshake?" Eva gasped eagerly.

I couldn't help a giggle as she grasped my palm and attempted to improvise a handshake from the top of her head. Enriqué and Felicia only watched in silent amusement, snickering at their quirky friend.

"I've almost got it—hold on."

Before she thought Eva would end up hurting herself, Felicia quickly interfered and intertwined her pinky in hers.

"Why don't we just Pinky Swear on it?" she laughed, and also took hold of my smaller pinky.

"Quique, get in this! Let's quadruple Pinky Swear!"

"Ehh, no thanks, Eva. I'd rather promise like this…"

My heart leapt as he grasped my palm and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Raquél, I _promise _not to tell anyone about Mike and Maya's relationship."

I was reminded of the Saturday night when I finally confessed my feelings for Enriqué. The genuine twinkle in his eyes held the silent promise that whatever secrets I had of my own could be kept in our confidentiality.

If I felt just an ounce more bold at that moment I would've leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Instead, he sealed his promise by planting a chaste kiss on the back of my hand.

"Thanks," was all I could manage without bursting into a fit of flattered giggles.

Determined to remain true to her own method of keeping promises, Eva tightened her grip around my pinky and glanced between me and Felicia. I imagined that we resembled a group of mediums trying to contact the dead as we linked fingers, our heads slightly bowed.

"Do you both promise to take this unbelievably juicy secret to the grave even though Maya's a jealous, evil, backstabbing wench who deserves to be bitten un the butt by karma?" she challenged all in one breath, which left us partially stunned.

No only had I begun to like Eva because of her affectionate nature and overly positive attitude, but her unique eccentricity was infectious.

"I promise,' Felicia and I vowed in unison while suppressing laughter.

"And I also promise to take this unbelievably juicy secret to the grave even though Maya's a jealous, evil, backstabbing wench who deserves to be bitten un the butt by karma."

"Now I see why Aunt Gloria tells you to look out for her, Licia. Eva's a little _loca_," Enriqué chuckled.

"I'm not crazy, Quique. I'm just being myself."

"And that's why we love you, Eva," Felicia beamed at her.

She glanced up at the wall clock across the cafeteria before placing her empty wrappers onto her lunch tray.

"Oh, looks like it's time for gym class, guys! Let's hope that Coach isn't in a torturing mood."

One by one we scooted our chairs backwards and rose to our feet to discard the remains of our lunches. Enriqué seemed eager to hold my hand as we strolled towards the gymnasium, but understood my restraint after I confessed that I was not ready to hold his hand.

Tonight was the night that I knew would mark the official beginning of our relationship.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué **

The tension in the air was more than evident as I stepped into the locker room, which fell silent once I came face to face with my football teammates.

Mike and Derek, two of the seven members of the Superiors and the Philip Randolph Cougars silently exchanged glares with me. I decided to ignore the stony gazes and approached my designated locker to change. They continued on with their conversation on which girl the hooked up with at the weekly Superior house party, which always included pot, plenty of booze and basketfuls of condoms.

For weeks I had managed to successfully evade their provoking company to avoid an unwanted confrontation, but that afternoon I was dragged into the clutches of my worst enemy, Carlos. His poisonous breath stung the shell of my ear as he slithered beside me and placed his arms across my shoulders.

"Sanchez, _hombre! _What's been going on with you lately? We really missed you at Rosa's party. Did you even go at all?" he questioned chuckling.

Fully aware that I was no longer a part of their clique, it was obvious that he was tugging on my chain to the amusement of his friends. Without a word, I simply turned my back and changed into my sweatpants.

"Guess not… So I see you've been hanging out with Richmond. She's a hot little cup of _Cafecito_, isn't she?"

My blood began to boil at the acknowledgement of the girl he left heartbroken and unable to trust. I held a particular hatred for Carlos for that very reason, and he was determined to watch me crack in front of my teammates. He gave me a harsh slap on the back and laughed to himself.

"You tap that ass yet? C'mon, I know you've been banging her. What other reason would you have for being with her? Because she's smart?" he teased with a scoff.

At that moment, my fuse had completely run out, but instead of gratifying myself by knocking him unconscious, I chose to enlighten him about my reasons for being with Raquél, and that I was nothing like him.

"No, I'm not 'banging' her. She's tutoring me so that I can keep my grades up for football. And just because I'm going to date her it doesn't mean that I'll be quick to have sex with her when she's not ready. She's a human being who deserves to be respected, and I sure as hell won't hurt her like _you_ did," I emphasized, thrusting my fingers into his shoulder.

Carlos raised his palms in defense and took a short step backwards. "No need to get upset, Sanchez. I don't care if you call it 'tutoring' or screwing… I'm just saying, if I got to fuck her longer she probably would've given me an awesome blow."

The surrounding boys burst into approving laughter and nodded their heads in agreement, but the comment couldn't have angered me more.

Outraged, I clamped my palm around his throat and forced him against the row of lockers.

"You better watch your mouth, you jerk! I'm not fucking kidding!" I growled angrily, while raising my fist above my head.

But before I could throw a punch, the class coach appeared and caught my fist in midair.

"Break it up, Sanchez and get your butt in the gym! Come on, put your shirt on and get upstairs now."

Clearly satisfied with his efforts, Carlos only strolled away with an unimpressed scoff.

"You heard what he said, Sanchez. Go meet your little screw doll upstairs," he called over his shoulder, and climbed the flight of stairs with the remaining male Superiors in tow.

Still piqued, I shoved my gym bag into my locker before slamming the thin door shut. Before my encounters with Carlos I had never gotten so angry that I would have a violent outburst. Though I was certain that I would fight for Raquél, she would be shocked to discover what I was capable of. I feared that she would see me as a monster instead of the careful gentleman she knew me as.

Putting the incident aside, I quickly made my way upstairs towards the gymnasium, where I found Raquél blissfully unaware of the confrontation between Carlos and I. For the first time I was happy to see her with my cousins, smiling and giggling as they walked along the indoor track. No longer would my heart ache when I watched her walk alone amongst groups of friends, her eyes cast to the floor while she nervously twirled a curl between her fingers. I would not see the tears that slid down her cheek whenever the Superiors would corner her just to kick her dignity down a few pegs.

My spirit now soared in gratification knowing that she was happy.

"What took you so long, Enriqué?" she questioned softly, her large green eyes boring through my soul.

She was so tiny and delicate, so cute and innocent. I did not want to lie to her about the near fight in the locker room, but the flecks of anxiety in her eyes convinced me that it was for her protection.

"Oh, well... I was looking for my locker key in my gym bag, but then I remembered that I kept it in my wallet."

"Are you okay, though? You seem a little on-edge," she observed, glancing down at my hands, which still trembled with lingering adrenaline.

Across the track I caught Carlos's eye, who made a thrusting gesture with his pelvis while his friends howled with laughter. Now, he was eager to test my patience in front of Raquél. Fearing that I would lose my temper, I quickly shifted to her left side so that I could keep my focus directed on her.

"Really, I'm fine," I replied, then decided to change the subject before she could question me further.

As usual, Felicia and Eva were glad to give us time alone and ambled ahead of us.

"Anyway, did the coach say that we were going to do stretches today? I do enough stretching at football practice."

"Yeah, he did. I mean, I don't have a problem with stretching. It's just that... well, look at Rosa," she said, emphasizing her point by shifting her gaze toward the middle of the track, where cheer captain Rosa sat in a full split for an audience of hormonal boys.

They then whooped and whistled at her as she stood up and brought her right leg above her head.

"All the boys take it the wrong way when a girl is extra flexible. I can do the same thing, but I don't show off because they gawk at you like a piece of meat. I'm doomed anyway. The coach already knows that I'm flexible."

Raquél whined to herself once the teacher blew his whistle to initiate warm-up stretches.

"All right! Grab a partner and take a seat on the floor. We're doing stretches today!" he called, his booming voice echoing throughout the gymnasium.

There was no need for us to exchange further words to make it known that we were partners; which proved just how much I believed in our compatibility. The remaining problem that I had yet to face was the nerve-wracking predicament of helping Raquél stretch.

In her head, she must have suspected that I would have the same reaction to her flexibility as the other boys in class. But in truth I was extremely nervous. With my towering build and the capability of supporting three times her weight, I feared that I would injure her if I failed to remain careful.

After three minutes of simple stretches, it was time to pair up and complete the complex, mostly painful stretches. Hesitantly, she took her place on the floor and followed the coach's instructions to lift her left leg. The air thickened with awkwardness as I knelt to my knees and guided the leg towards her head while I used my free hand to hold down her right leg. Her scarlet face remained neutral once I brought her leg against her chest, so I pushed further until her toes touched the floor above her head. In my arms she could be compared to a ragdoll. I could not deny that she had amazing flexibility, but my main concern remained focused on her safety.

"Are you okay?" I asked her once she shifted positions.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Apparently, Raquél had no problems at all with pain, but with the obnoxious comments of Mike and Carlos.

Meanwhile, Maya glared on jealously. Raquél's darkened green eyes rolled as she let out a scoff, muttering to herself in Spanish.

"Just ignore them. They're just being immature, as usual," I murmured, guiding her away from the inappropriate jeers and closer to Eva and Felicia.

"Why don't they shut up and leave you guys alone? You're just stretching, not pole dancing," Felicia said to Raquél. Growing uncomfortable by the combination of hungry and envious stares, she hastily finished her last split before scrambling to her feet.

For the rest of the period, she never made eye contact with me until the end of the day.

I was left on the stairway leading to the parking lot, clutching my cheek in shock after she leaned up on her toes to kiss my cheek. My flesh tingled upon impact of her soft lips, and the gentle grip of her palm around my forearm. Then she strolled away towards the daycare, biting her bottom lip in the most adorable manner.

"See you tonight," her shy giggle faded into the crisp winter air once she sent me a faint wave.

Yet again would I see another side of Raquél I'd never encountered, and slowly but surely make a place for myself in her heart.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

What would I wear on my first date with Enriqué?

This question continued to weigh heavily on my mind as Troy helped me and my baby siblings into the apartment. While I was glad to have fully accepted my mother's boyfriend, my main concerns circulated around impressing the charming football player.

Once I was left alone to self-destruct in my own panic, my bedroom became a temporary dumping ground for my entire wardrobe. One article after the other, I hastily tossed back a pair of jeans or a blouse whenever I doubted that it would win his approval.

_If I go casual he might think that I didn't try hard enough, but if I go too girly he might think that I tried too much,_ I thought feeling discouraged.

I experimented with makeup, only to hastily grab a bundle of baby wipes and rub it off of my skin. After spending nearly two hours straightening my long hair, I stuck my head beneath the faucet to regain the natural curls. I modeled every accessory from my jewelry chest and every pair of shoe from its new box, but nothing seemed to work.

By the time my mother had arrived at 5:00 I had nearly given up. She found me buried beneath a pile of sweaters at the foot of my bed.

"You didn't tell me it was this bad, Angel," she exclaimed softly, recalling the frantic text I had sent her earlier that afternoon: "Help! I have nothing 2 wear _!"

She sent my giggling sisters away before placing a comforting hand on my thigh.

"I've been trying on outfits, make-up, shoes, but I have absolutely no idea what I should wear," I confided in my mother, close to tears of frustration.

"Don't give up, baby girl; it's not the end of the world. Maybe you may think that he's expecting you to look glamorous, when really, it probably doesn't matter to him what you wear. Remember, less is more."

After taking a quick glance around the messy room, my mother tiptoed over heaps of my clothing and knelt down to pluck a simple off-white ruched bust top and a pair of light wash skinny jeans. To complete the ensemble, she grabbed a pair of white ballet flats.I watched my outfit come together once she replaced my mismatched accessories with diamond leaf earrings and a matching diamond leaf cuff **(in profile)**.

Satisfied with her work, my mother took a step back and smiled.

"There! See, baby? You didn't have to put yourself through all this stress," she said, pulling me into an embrace.

"Come on, take your shower and get your clothes on."

"Thank you so much for helping me, Mami. You've saved my butt, yet again," I laughed in relief.

Perhaps the old wounds from my pseudo relationship with Carlos had reopened, and the need to meet Enriqué's standards had me stricken with panic. While I admittedly felt like a real teenage girl in the three weeks we had been dating, memories of Carlos telling me what to wear and how to look left a lasting impression on my self-esteem.

Enriqué, the boy who was much more patient and accepting than Carlos, undoubtedly liked me for what was on the inside more than the outside.

Once I was showered and dressed, the only setback I faced was the decision of how wear my curls.

"Mami, come here," I called to my mother from the hallway bathroom.

"Sí, mija. What's the matter?"

"Should I wear my hair up or down?"

Silently she observed me from head to toe, and nodded after a short minute of deliberation. "I think up... A ponytail over the shoulder. He'll want to see those cute little ears of yours," she smiled, affectionately tracing her thumb along the shell of my ear.

After collecting my keys and wallet, I rushed throughout the house to give out departing kisses to my siblings.

"I'm going to wait in the lobby. I love you, Mami," I said to my mother before pecking her lips.

"Love you, too, baby. Have fun!"

Eager to start my date on a smooth note, I quickly made my way down to the lobby. I found him pacing back and forth, rubbing his palms together as if he were preparing for something. Or anticipating.

"Wow, Raquél! You look beautiful," he gasped softly once he noticed me approaching.

Naturally, my typical response was to blush and thank him in the most timid voice I could muster. But things had to be different this time, and it was time for me to break out of my shell and show Enriqué that there was more to me than timidity. He seemed shocked once I leaned in to kiss one of his dimples.

"Thank you. You look really handsome in leather," I complimented as he led me towards his car.

Suppressing a giggle, I found him quite cute in his attire knowing that he resembled the members of _Aventura_, my favorite band. After he keenly opened the door for me, I took my place in the passenger seat of the car.

"Are you excited?" he asked me.

"Of course! This is kind of a big deal for me... I spent all afternoon looking for the perfect outfit," I confessed grinning in memory of the previously hectic events of my day.

Enriqué glanced at me before turning his attention towards the road ahead.

"Oh, really? I wouldn't have minded if you showed up wearing a potato sack. You look gorgeous either way."

"Do you honestly think so? I mean, no matter what I wear you'll never have a problem with my appearance, even if I don't wear makeup?"

Confused, Enriqué's eyebrows furrowed as if he did not understand what I was talking about.

"They're just clothes. It's not the type of clothes that you wear that attracts me to you. Your personality, your laugh, your intelligence... That's what I like about you. And makeup? You don't need makeup because you're already beautiful. Makeup only takes away from your natural beauty," he smiled, and brushed his thumb along my jawline.

As he reached down to grasp my hand, a sudden burning lump rose in the back of my throat, and I leaned against his shoulder.

"I'm glad that you're not like the others... You don't expect me to be perfect," I murmured, my voice breaking.

The urge to cry was difficult to ignore, and my fallen tears trickled onto Enriqué's forearm. "Ohh, it's okay, Raquél. I know how much it means to you to have a genuine relationship. You don't have to work at being perfect for me," he whispered, sweeping his fingers through my curls before planting a kiss on my forehead.

We arrived at the cinema quickly after I regained my composure and dried my tears. Enriqué escorted me into a dimly-lit theatre once our tickets, snacks and beverages were purchased. We took our seats and patiently awaited the feature presentation.

All the talk about Brad Pitt aging in reverse had sparked my curiosity, and it was mutually agreed that Enriqué and I watch it for ourselves.

With New Year's Eve fast approaching I'd already planned to ask him to the celebration in Times Square. He despondently shook his head once I asked him if he had ever spent New Year's Eve in Times Square.

"Never. But I've seen clips of it back in Cuba when I was a kid, and I've always wanted to go," he replied in a whisper, as the lights faded completely.

"I only went once when I was nine, and it was just so awkward watching my parents kiss along with these random strangers. If you're going to go, might I suggest that you bring someone to kiss."

Enriqué slowly gazed into my eyes, his features brightening and darkening, changing colors with each flash of the screen.

In the chestnut mirror of his irises I caught the joining lips of an onscreen couple, a pure sign that symbolized our compatibility. His breath seemed to hitch in his throat as he contemplated his reply.

"Spending New Year's Eve with you will be my best New Years by far."

To ratify his conviction, Enriqué pressed his lips to my forehead and draped his arm around my shoulder. Leaning into his chest, I was no longer worried about future events that we had yet to share as a couple. At that moment, nothing was more important to me than Enriqué and the little, yet affectionate gestures he made that officially caused remaining fragments of The Wall to crumble into obscurity.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

By the end of the movie Raquél had used up nearly all of her tears, but I didn't mind wiping them away. I tightened my grip around her small palm as we strolled through the exit, now hoping to end the evening with a kiss. A real kiss.

Without warning, Raquél stopped in her tracks and pulled me back.

"Can you wait outside for me? I-I really need to use the bathroom," she murmured urgently, squirming in place.

"Sure I'll get the car."

Chuckling at her cuteness, I watched her rush across the cinema until she disappeared into the women's restroom.

In the meantime I'd begun to mentally debate whether she was ready for a serious kiss. If she was ready it would only make our first date memorable.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Finally relieved of the lasting effects of my previous drink, I was eager to return to my date and make the night one to remember. A torrent of bubbles slipped in and over my hands as I hastily washed them in the round metal sink. I kept my gaze focused on the steaming jets of water below me, until I looked up and found two familiar reflections approaching.

It was my worst nightmare: Maya and Rosa. Their loud clamors and laughs sent me running scared, and I locked myself into the nearest stall, hoping to hide before I was caught.

I knew that the person they mocked must have been an innocent victim.

"... I mean, honestly! It's like she doesn't see that she's ugly as hell! Obviously, the guy that she's with likes her for another reason. A whore, maybe," Maya snickered to her friend before stepping in front the row of mirrors.

Holding my trembling breaths, I carefully stole a peek through the crack in the door. While Rosa dutifully held a portable tray of makeup, Maya tediously began to dab makeup onto her face. I fought the urge to throw up once I noticed how short her dress was as she bent over the sink.

"Ugh, I know right? That girl was just as ugly and slutty as... Guess."

My heart threatened to rip apart at the seams knowing that Rosa was hinting towards me. I jumped as Maya slammed her purse onto the counter and moved onto her hair, letting out a scoff.

"Don't even mention that little bitch to me. I swear if I'm ever left alone with her I'll stomp her into the ground for stealing Enriqué from me. It won't be that hard anyway. She just cowers into a wall and cries like a baby whenever she sees me, so I easily have control over her," she laughed smugly to herself.

Memories from the recent past quickly flooded my thoughts with as I reminiscenced terrifying confrontations that often left me scarred and humiliated. The start of a verbal attack caused me to become paralyzed with fear, and my breaths heavy and labored. Never outside of the situation, I realized how foolish I must have looked to other people with the sight of tears streaming down my cheeks and my chest rising and falling rapidly. It made me wonder why Enriqué was never in sight to witness the harassment.

Perhaps the bullying caused him heartache. Heartache caused him to break the barrier that separated the champions from the losers.

"I totally want you to jump her ass, but how are we supposed to do that now when she hangs out with that girl from student council? And the other one, she's just fucking annoying," Rosa remarked, shuddering dramatically.

"You mean Eva and Felicia? I can't stand those two either, Rosa. They're just embarrassing themselves being seen with Raquél. Trust me, they're not going stay for long once I convince them that she's just going to stab them in the back like she did to Aurora. Carlos doesn't have a girlfriend anymore, thanks to her."

Now, my blood was beginning to boil.

Clearly, Carlos was at fault for convincing me that he cared about me and stealing my virginity before breaking my heart for a bet, when truthfully he was cheating on his own girlfriend.

Since Troy now gave me rides back and forth to school every day, I was personally glad not to see Aurora anymore. She should have expected to get her heart broken starting with the types of heartless people she associated with.

Felicia and Eva were beginning to show me what real friendships were all about.

After being trapped in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes, my left pocket buzzed with the vibration of my cell phone. The text message alert was loud enough to catch Maya and Rosa's attention.

The bathroom fell unbearably silent as I grappled for my phone to read the text. As expected Enriqué had grown concerned by my absence and sent me a message to check on me.

Where Maya and Rosa stood nearly 15 feet away, I could hardly make an obscure getaway.

"Who's taking so long in there? I don't even want to know what they're doing in there."

While I fearfully backed further into the stall, the footsteps seemed to plod closer and closer.

"Let's see who it is," Rosa giggled mischievously.

Beneath the door I caught sight of her looming shadow, which grew larger and darker with each step she took. Knowing I could not escape, I remained shrunken against the toilet and closed my eyes, preparing for the worst. Just when I thought that I was a sitting duck, the restroom entrance burst open.

But the girl was anything but a savior. Rosa reluctantly strolled away towards Lynn as she wandered in, which gave me enough time to attempt an escape.

"Where the hell were you? I told you to be here with my diet pills ten minutes ago!" Maya screeched, reaching out to smack her friend in the arm.

"Sorry, but I've got some news for you! I just saw Enriqué. He must've been really thirsty, because he had two sodas in his hands," she exclaimed naively.

"No, you dumb bitch! He's probably on a date with that slut Raqu— What was that?"

I silently hissed to myself in pain after my ankle collided with the edge of the stall on the opposite side of the bathroom. I managed to crawl beneath each empty stall out of their sight, which was not entirely disgusting. Thankfully, on my way into the bathroom I met two custodians shuffling out with a mop and bucket.

Setting my sights on the exit in the corner of the bathroom, I slipped up and out of the stalls and carefully tiptoed behind their backs.

"She's running. Split up, girls, I want to find out who this is and catch them," I heard Maya's voice echo, with an unsettling ring of amusement.

Why did the bathroom have to be completely deserted when I had nowhere to run?

Although Maya was aware that there was a chance the person she intended to confront was not someone she knew, it was evident that she was hell-bent on harassing anyone she came across. It was life's way of telling me: "I hate you."

It was difficult to determine exactly where each Superior was searching, so I knelt to the floor and peeked around a corner whenever I feared one would catch me. The tactic worked for me a few times as the tortuous game of Cat and Mouse continued, until my eyes locked with Lynn's gaze.

My heart dropped once she recognized me, then gasped in shock and pointed in my direction.

"It's Raquél, Maya! She's right behind you!" she called to my dismay.

Before I could turn back and duck beneath the row of sinks, my enraged tormentor began to charge. In the distance between us I spotted her lethal, black glare and the heavy drop of her shoulders as she huffed in fury.

The frightening sight reminded me of the scene from Jurassic Park when the young brother and sister were trapped in the kitchen with a pair of deadly raptors waiting to eat them alive. Except two raptors were not as deadly as one Maya.

Knowing that I had no choice but to curl up into a ball and endure punishment, I ducked to the floor and covered my head. Instead, Maya hauled me to my feet and gave me a hard slap to the face. It was the most painful hit yet.

"Why the hell do you keep showing up in my life after you stole my boyfriend? It's bad enough that he's not with me and it's even worse because he had to pick you. Are you on a date with him tonight?" she barked a demand.

Fearful of my looming fate, I burst into tears once she attempted to beat the answer out of me.

"Answer me, you stupid bitch!"

After recovering from the last slap, I could only muster a nod and a hiccup while bracing myself for a second onslaught. A swift kick to the back of my leg from Rosa only increased my pain, forcing me to the floor.

"Who do you think you are, spreading your legs for him? If you weren't such a slut we wouldn't have to give you warnings like this! But since you don't seem to understand a word I'm saying, maybe you'll get it once I break your fucking nose..."

As Maya drew her clenched fist backward, I squeezed my eyes shut to take the blow. Suddenly, the door slammed open, letting in my last hopes of escaping.

The happy shrieks of children caught the girls' attentions, and as Maya's grip loosened on my jacket I pushed Lynn out of my way and ran as fast as I could towards the exit. But even with the threat of being caught, the Superiors chased me down the seemingly endless stretch of stalls. Although I was unsure where the exit would take me, I hoped to make it out of the bathroom and into a large group of people.

My heart thumped, my stomach churned and my right leg throbbed in crippling pain, but I used my last ounce of energy to burst through the back doors of the theatre. Their shrieking threats and heavy footfalls still in pursuit, I sped around the corner, where I bumped into the only man who could save me.

The impact sent me falling onto the pavement, and once Enriqué recognized me I held on for dear life. It was then that I finally let go of my emotions.

"Raquél, what happened to you?" he questioned frantically as I hid behind his back, unable to speak.

The answer soon emerged from the shadows, which quickly angered him once he put together the puzzle.

Then, in a unique occurrence only I could experience from Enriqué, his palms slipped beneath my arms, and I felt my body being lifted off of the ground before he rest me against his torso. Now safe and secure in his arms, I hid my face in the crook of his neck and cried.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he demanded angrily, defending me from what resembled a hungry pack of wolves.

"That's none of your business, asshole! We were taking care of her without you," Maya snapped.

"Don't feed me that bull! You guys were harassing Raquél as usual. Stop hurting her just because she has what you don't. Leave, now!"

Letting out a scoff of denial, Maya only planted her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Excuse me? Are you assuming that I'm jealous of that nobody? Look at her, she's acting like a scared little baby—that's pathetic."

"No, Maya. _You're_ pathetic! Now leave before I call the police," he threatened firmly before taking my cell phone.

Calling his bluff, Maya, Lynn and Rosa stood their ground and merely laughed.

"You're not going to call 911 just because she's being dramatic. Admit it: you still like me."

Scoffing to himself, Enriqué adjusted his grip on me and pressed the first digit to the city's emergency number.

"You still like me, Enriqué!" Maya nearly screamed.

"Say what you want. I only like Raquél," he simply replied.

His threat quickly wore away once a sudden idea struck his mind.

"You know what? Instead of calling the police to make you go away, maybe you'll leave if I tell you what I absolutely hate about you," he began sarcastically. "You are the most awful, spiteful, malicious person I have ever met. I still don't know what on earth possessed me to go out with you, but I never considered you as my girlfriend. It was just a lesson in what not to look for in a real girlfriend. You're not even a good friend because you stab them in the backs all the time. Unlike you, Raquél is smart, beautiful, strong, and she has a heart. Just because you're insecure, it doesn't give you the right to bring her as low to the ground as you. Get over the so-called relationship we had because it never was a relationship, what with all the guys you had sex with. As far as I'm concerned, I have never liked you and I never will like you. I hate you."

For the first time ever I witnessed the flash of hurt that spread across Maya's features, a sign that showed that words had just as much of an impact on her as they did on me. With no sneering comeback to insult me further, she stormed away and made an offensive gesture with her hand.

"Come on, girls!" she barked to Rosa and Lynn, who both shuffled away armed with matching glares.

The slight quiver in her voice revealed that Enriqué's words had sliced through her like a blade. Once the girls disappeared into the parking lot, Enriqué rubbed his thumb beneath my eyes and kissed my forehead.

"Come on, let me check you out," he murmured before placing me back onto the pavement and zipping my jacket.

I remained silent, too ashamed to speak as he knelt in front of me.

"You're not bleeding, so that's good. But, oh-no. Your cheek."

He tilted my head towards the stream of light that shone from the towering light pole.

"She left a bruise on your beautiful face. Don't worry... It's still flawless," he said, smiling warily.

Sensing my discomfort, he got to his feet and took my hand.

"You okay, Raquél? I'll take you home if you want to."

"No," I finally answered, close to more tears. "I'm so sorry Enriqué. I wanted this night to go perfectly, and I-I didn't mean to get caught—"

"No, no! Don't blame yourself; don't apologize. They deliberately hurt you, Raquél. It was their fault for disrupting our date," Enriqué exclaimed softly.

"I apologize too much, don't I?"

"Sometimes... But don't ever apologize for getting hurt. I'd rather see you happy any day."

An automatic smile worked its way onto my lips as he planted a brief kiss against my cheek. When he pulled away, his features settled in a manner that I could not read. His chestnut eyes gleamed and flickered as if he were watching bursts of fireworks explode in the night sky; and they repeatedly fell to my lips, silently contemplating.

Enriqué wanted to kiss me—not with a quick, tentative peck to the lips or the cheek, but with the long, passionate kiss I'd received on the day he admitted his feelings for me. Except, that moment would determine whether I was ready or not to move a step further with him.

Butterflies sprung to life in the pit of my stomach as his fingers swept my curls away, while his palm encircled the nape of my neck in a gentle caress. The cool white vapor of his unsteady breaths billowed around my face once our lips were separated by mere millimeters. As his head slowly tilted to the right, I confidently rest my palms on either side of his solid torso, and leaned in also.

Our lips met with the same, yet stimulating sparks I had experienced beforehand; a lengthy relaxed kiss. It was evident that Enriqué was ready to deepen the kiss once his bottom lip gently slipped between mine, slightly parting my lips to help me get used to the sensation. For a few seconds I indulged myself in the encouraging open-mouthed kiss and the caress of his soft lips against mine. Then, the tip of his tongue subtly glided across my upper lip, physically begging for my approval. It was not thrust into my mouth out of excitement like the last time, but introduced me to the spicy mint flavor of his tongue. My tongue remained still and tense as the tip of Enriqué's tongue lightly pressed against mine, coaxing me to follow his lead. After releasing a trembling breath through my nose, I decided that it was the moment of truth. It was time to put aside my hesitations and put my whole heart and soul into venturing out of my comfort zone.

Finally, as I guided my tongue into his mouth, what seemed as a life-changing moment initiated a chain reaction of sensations and emotions. My knees trembled beneath me, threatening me to buckle in his arms. I became dizzy and lightheaded, not in a way that provoked a sense of nausea but rendered my thoughts muddled with pleasure. My heart thumped against his abdomen, which vibrated with every breath he took, and skipped a few beats once his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. Behind my closed eyes my senses became heightened at the graceful caress of his tongue, which explored the crevices of my mouth further and playfully wrestled mine.

For a moment Enriqué broke the kiss and cupped my face, gazing deep into my eyes. Silently I returned a contented grin, letting him know that I wanted to kiss him until every movement and caress of his tongue became forever imprinted in my thoughts. I couldn't help a soft giggle as his tongue flicked against the roof of my mouth, the slight tickle causing my grip to tighten on his sleeve. There was no telling how long we'd been kissing, how long our tongues remained passionately intertwined. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced, a marvelous occurrence that I never wanted to end.

But the end was not as bitter as I'd expected, and as Enriqué broke the lingering kiss once more I found nothing else but a melted pair of chestnut-glazed irises and the rising crooked smile at the corner of his mouth.

Slowly, the clutches of reality caught us in its grip and dragged us back down to earth.

No words, no laughs, but the sounds of our labored breathing were exchanged among us. My head remained cupped between Enriqué's palms while my fists released the balled-up material of his shirt that I'd grabbed during the kiss. Lingering nerves continued to haunt me with tremors elicited by the intimacy of the moment, and in an effort to hide my trembling hands, I quickly smoothed out his wrinkled top. I didn't want him to know just how much of an effect he had on me.

But once Enriqué grasped my hand, I was surprised to feel his own skin vibrating.

"Don't try to hide it... I'm shaking, too," he chuckled softly before leading me towards his car.

Without a word I giggled in relief as he gently brought me against his side, resting his palm on the small of my back. The touch was not uncomfortable or intrusive. Pure trust and affection didn't cause me to recoil in apprehension for fear that I would get my heart and my promises broken.

For the first time in my life I had no doubts about trusting Enriqué. He was not like Carlos. He was not going to tell his friends about my most personal secrets or my fears or my dreams. Despite the minor incident that I had to recover from, the date had simply exceeded my hopes and expectations, and after Enriqué proved that he was a rare jewel in a mine of heartless, chauvinistic men, I never worried about the future of our relationship.

Whether we had yet to face complete happiness or bitter catastrophe, I knew that Enriqué was going to be at the bottom of the cliff, ready to catch me.

**There's more with that came from! Also check out my profile for Raquél's outfit it you're interested. The next chapter will hopefully meet your expectations and hopefully I can pull some good reviews! Thank you! **


	17. Head Over Heels

**This is when email comes in handy. This is a quick post because of the method I've been using of sending drafts to my Gmail account. I hope you'll enjoy this treat and please, please, pleeease make sure to review. Thank you! :)**

**Chapter 17: Head over Heels**

**Enriqué**

The softness of her lips, the sweet taste of her tongue; the conviction in her warm green eyes remained seared into my memory days after that life-altering night. Raquél, the girl I never thought I was worthy of, accepted my efforts to keep her protected and left me feeling confident that we had nowhere to go but up. Though I was aware that our relationship was going to have its flaws, it was up to me to keep it as perfect as her.

During those days I'd begun to experience a series of confusing emotions.

Whenever we walked through the school corridors I felt the urge to hold her hand and never let go. Once I kissed her the moment we met in the morning, I wanted to kiss her all day until we departed after my tutoring session. When she distractedly wrapped her arms around my torso, I wanted to rock her in my arms and indulge my senses with the intoxicating scent of her shampoo. Although I enjoyed the small dates we had each day, I often found myself becoming overwhelmed with sadness as I watched her disappear behind her apartment door before shutting it close. My dreams would replay the way she would bite her bottom lip to hold back a giggle and the way she wrinkled her nose, unknowingly taunting me with her cuteness.

My cousins simply concluded that my excitement at the start of our relationship was still at its peak and assured me that I would be back to normal by the second week. But it was more than excitement that caused me to almost obsess over devoting my heart and soul to Raquél every minute of the day and keeping her out of harm's way.

Whatever the reason, I did not figure it out until New Year's Eve.

After spending as much time as I could with my family at home, I eagerly prepared for my night with Raquél and drove to her house in the afternoon. Hoping to acquire a good spot for the concert in Times Square, I rushed into the apartment complex and made my way upstairs. Her mother appeared on the other side of the door while poking a diamond earring through her ear, and smiled once she discovered who rang the doorbell.

"Enriqué, _¡__miel!_ Come on in; Raquél is almost ready," she said guiding me into the house.

The living room was a chaotic scene as Raquél's younger sisters darted in and out of their bedrooms, all wearing formal gowns.

"Going out for New Year's?" I questioned, which seemed to stop the little girls in their tracks.

They timidly retreated behind their mother and stared in curiosity.

"Well, the girls are spending the night with my parents and my boyfriend and I are going out to dinner. Go ahead to the nursery; she's getting her brother dressed."

"Okay. Thank you, _Señora_."

As I approached the room on the right side of the corridor, the distant sound of what seemed like a song drifted out of the doorway. Thinking that I must have been hearing a radio, I thought nothing of the impressive voice.

But my heart was unprepared.

The amazing sight I found on the other side of the door rendered me frozen with astonishment. While helping her brother into a pair of pants, Raquél effortlessly sang a melody containing long, high and low notes. Just when I thought that Raquél Richmond could not get any more perfect, she had the voice of an angel. The passion of singing was evident in her features, starting with her eyes which fluttered shut, and the slight tilt in her head whenever she would hit a high note.

The confounding emotions I'd been battling for almost a week returned with an extreme vengeance, and it was then that the answer came crashing down on my head like a ton of bricks.

"Oh, my God," I silently gasped to myself.

I was in love.

It all explained my recent plaguing feelings and the undeniable sense of want for her. Her stunning beauty, her amazing intelligence and her kindheartedness among other countless qualities was the reason that I had suddenly fallen head over heels in love with Raquél.

Only once the girl I loved gathered her brother in her arms and spun him around did she notice my presence, and immediately stopped singing. The smile disappeared from her features, her emeralds grew wide and she was as pale as a ghost, nearly on the verge of passing out.

"Don't stop. You have an amazing voice—I've never heard anything like it," I chuckled softly.

After sending her baby brother into the hallway, Raquél grasped my palms and sighed to herself.

"Thank you, but it's not exactly something I enjoy doing in front of anyone. If you weren't such a cutie I'd have to kill you for hearing me," she giggled while leaning up to kiss me.

Her mother and siblings had begun to file through the front door as she led me back into the living room.

"Call me when you make it to Times Square, okay, baby? You two have a great time and be careful. I love you, Raquél," Gabriella called before pulling the door shut.

"I love you," I wanted to say to her once we were alone.

But I knew I had to keep things slow if I wanted to avoid scaring her. Although it was apparent that she'd begun to make big strides at the start of our relationship, she was not completely ready to fall in love without knowing if I would hurt her. I would never hurt her for as long as I lived.

"So, um... Ready to go?"

I caught myself gazing lovingly into her eyes, and quickly raced for an answer.

"Oh, sure, sure. Come on, let's go so we can beat the crowd," I nearly stammered, and crossed the room to open the door for her.

My arm automatically wound around her shoulders as we ambled out if the building, secretly holding out faith that we could end a year of sadness and anguish and start a new year filled with happiness, precious memories, and hopefully, love.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Something changed in Enriqué that evening, whether it was the tender, unfamiliar gaze I found piercing into my eyes or the undeniable sense that he was hesitating to tell me something. I found it difficult to show restraint against my emotions as he reached out to grasp my hand while driving, which nearly drove me to tears.

Occasionally a crooked grin would find its way onto his lips, and he'd press a long kiss against my knuckles and rub his thumb across them before telling me how beautiful I looked. Whenever we came to a halt at an intersection, Enriqué leaned over to briefly kiss my forehead or my lips. I had grown almost used to his affectionate gestures, but it seemed as though he took just about every opportunity to express how much he cared about me. There was no doubt that Enriqué made me feel better than a queen, and more like a precious gem.

We strolled into the crowds of New York City, his arm firmly locked around my waist as we approached the seemingly endless queue of awaiting couples and families. Knowing that the much anticipated countdown to the ball drop was eminent, I carelessly overlooked the army of cameras surrounding the area, waiting to broadcast the excitement of New Year's Eve to the entire country.

Although the buzz of arriving celebrity guests left room for anticipation, my seemingly undying disorder had me reeling from total strangers. Enriqué noticed once he found the ticket in my hand trembling.

"Are you okay, Raquél?" he asked in concern.

I never answered. Once we were granted permission to pass through security. I never told him about my Social Anxiety Disorder, but as his girlfriend I couldn't keep it hidden for long.

"C-Can I... Tell you something?" I questioned nervously.

"Of course you can."

As if to emphasize his eagerness to listen, Enriqué pulled me towards the quietest section of the audience and lifted me off the ground to sit me onto an elevated wall.

"Well, um. Before I started tutoring you, you must've noticed how anxious I seemed even when I was by myself, right?"

"Because of Maya and her friends?" he guessed.

"Yeah, but even if I didn't have bullies it would've been obvious that I'm not like everyone else... Almost all the time I get so nervous around people and crowds that I start shaking and panicking; and I stutter whenever I have to speak. When I'm in school or anywhere else in public I get this feeling that everyone is staring at me and criticizing me, even though I know that it isn't really true. I'm starting to get a little nervous right now to tell you the truth. This has been holding me back for as long as I can remember and I'm tired of it. In fact, my mom tells me that I used to have full-blown panic attacks and scream and cry almost every day when I was little, so I guess that's why I'm such an easy target. I have a disorder, Enriqué... Social Anxiety Disorder. It's really crippling, and I should've told you this before but I didn't want you to think that there was something mentally wrong with me. I-I'm still surprised that you, Felicia and Eva want to be seen with me since I just can't seem to be myself without worrying about being judged."

By the time I had finished my confession, the typical symptoms of my SAD had forced my eyes to my hands, and made my face scarlet with embarrassment. I was afraid to glance up and find Enriqué's possibly shocked expression. Instead, his gaze was warm and accepting as he slowly tilted my chin upwards before putting his lips against my forehead.

"No matter what, you're still perfect to me," he whispered in my ear.

Touched by his admiration, I could not help but release a stream of tears in front of him.

"You think I'm perfect?" I gasped softly, my voice breaking.

"Just because you suffer from a disorder, it doesn't change the way I look at you or feel about you. It doesn't matter to me what others think of you, because do you know what I think? It makes you who you are. And there's nothing wrong with you at all. You wouldn't be as strong or as accepting of a person if you hadn't gone through what most of us will never experience. I like you because of who you are, and if it helps I've been seeing changes in you since the first day of our tutoring session. Even though I know that you haven't completely gotten rid of your disorder, you're not as reserved as you used to be and you're beginning to learn to stand up for yourself. As long as you put trust in me and my cousins, we can all help you come out of your shell so everyone else can see what an amazing girl you are," Enriqué said while wiping my tears.

He pecked my lips and helped me off the wall before digging through his pocket.

"Um, I meant to give you this at Christmas, but since it's New Year's I figured it would be best."

"Enriqué, what is that?" I questioned in disbelief as I spotted the black matte box he hid behind his back.

A gasp parted my lips once he opened the lid to reveal a sterling silver, diamond accented bracelet complete with lock and key charms **(in profile)**.

"Oh, my God, is this for me? It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

My heart was caught off guard at the dazzling gift I'd received from Enriqué. Never before did I think that I was worthy of having a man spend his hard-earned money on me. The charms had to mean something more than just a late Christmas present.

"Of course it's for you, Raquél. You really mean a lot to me and I felt that you deserved it for devoting your time and energy to tutoring me. I wanted to give you a lock and key because, well... my affection for you is no secret, but it's something special just for the two of us. This is my promise to you that my commitment—my heart will be for you, and you alone," Enriqué vowed, which was the most heartfelt words he had ever spoken to me so far.

I broke down in tears as he fastened the bracelet around my wrist, then captured my lips in a passionate kiss. It no longer mattered to me how many people were watching us at that moment, or what opinions and judgments they had about our affection for each other. Now the only concern that remained was the amount of money he spent on me.

"Thank you so much for this bracelet, Enriqué. I-I really love it but, how much did this cost?" I asked almost nervously.

"$220. But don't worry how much I spent, Raquél. This is for _you_ to enjoy."

Enriqué let out a chuckle at my wide-mouthed expression and led me back to our previous spots before anyone claimed them. No sooner than that did the celebration begin, which was much louder and extravagant than I had remembered five years before.

Immersing ourselves in the excitement of the moment, we both purchased oversized hats, balloons, noisemakers and glasses with frames spelling out the approaching year. We were left starstruck and blown away with each appearance of a celebrity artist, all who proved that they were a hundred times better in person than they were on television. During the concert, Enriqué held me close and whispered the most significant lyrics into my ear while the crowd preferred to scream along. The past three weeks were genuinely surreal to me, as if Mrs. Brown's demand for me to tutor Enriqué or the two girls I'd begun to call my friends or the passionate kiss I received prior to my tearful confession were moments in which I could only dream of.

Slowly I began to realize that the woes of my nightmarish life were beginning to fade into oblivion, and almost everything that I could have wanted from my teenage years was becoming a dream come true for me. Eventually the late hours of the night wore away, raising our anticipation for the approaching New Year. There were so many resolutions I had planned to carry out every year since I began middle school, but never fulfilled because I was too apprehensive or doubtful. Things had to be different for 2010.

Aside from the coming-of-age ceremony that was scheduled for my 15th birthday, I had to stay true to the promises I made to myself in order to blossom into a confident young woman, especially if I wanted my relationship with Enriqué to become romantic.

That New Year's Eve I planned to fulfill the first resolution from 2007: Making time for myself. Back when I was 12 years old in 6th grade, I had practically become a pre-teen mother to my 4 year old sister, Aquilína. With the demands of a full time job at 27, my mother rarely found time to care for her when she returned from preschool. Since I was dismissed from school nearly six hours before my parents left work, I was expected to walk a few long blocks to the daycare to carry Aquilína home, which brought the weight of the responsibilities onto my shoulders. I felt as though I had missed out on my dwindling childhood, and had no hopes of enjoying being a carefree teenager with the burden of caring for everyone but myself. Then there was 2008, when I failed to venture out of my comfort zone and attempt to make a new friend. But with the lifelong curse of bullies, I doubted that anyone wanted to fall victim to the treatment I was receiving. At the start of 2009 I contemplated boosting my self-esteem and confidence, only to back down once I found myself trapped in the clutches of the Philip Randolph Superiors.

If I kept setting up resolutions and neglected them when it was time to put them into action, there was no way that I was going to let go of my inhibitions unless I stayed true to my promises.

Enriqué and I watched as the 20 second stretch began, while the brightly-lit glass sphere made its slow descend. The crowd's excited cheers grew louder and louder with the impending countdown, overhead cameras swung wildly above Times Square to capture the last few seconds of 2009, and as I gazed deep into his eyes, I knew that I just had to follow through with my previous resolutions and the promise I planned to fulfill for the new year: Finding love. My grip on his forearms tightened with anticipation once the street filled with the sounds of the last countdown.

"10... 9...!" the crowd counted in unison.

The significance of a kiss weighed heavily on both of our minds, yet I felt the urge to tell Enriqué about the custom of kissing at midnight.

"Did you know that sharing a kiss with someone at midnight gives you good luck for the New Year?" I whispered to him anxiously.

"6...! 5...! 4...!"

"Looks like this is going to be my lucky year."

"2...! 1...! Happy New Year!" the crowd screamed around us, immediately grappling for their partners to receive the traditional kiss.

Couples from teens our ages to married couples young and mature became caught up in the moment, their kissing possibly symbolizing the love and affection they shared and the hopes of spending another year with each other.

My heart leapt as Enriqué carefully took the hat from my head before snaking his palm around the nape of my neck, his thumb tracing invisible circles on my ear. Once our lips met in a tender, passionate kiss, I knew that it was not just a customary action prompted by the New Year. To me the kiss held much more significance. This meant that it was time for me to stop worrying about what was to come the next day or lamenting about a life I was not satisfied with. I came to terms with the situations I had been tossed into since the day I was born, and realized that it was not because God hated me, but all along I had the power to change my life for the better instead of wishing for a miracle. My life was full of anguish and suffering for a reason, and from then on I was determined to fight my own battles head-on.

Once Enriqué and I pulled away breathlessly, the curtain of heat between us dissipated into the thin, cold air as he released his grip on my waist. A chuckle arose from his throat, and he gently swept my curls away.

"Happy New Year, Raquél," he murmured before pulling me into another captivating kiss.

Although I could not determine his reasons for kissing me so long, it seemed that with each sweep of his tongue against mine, he attempted to kiss away my pain, my fears, my doubts and my disorder. I was not in love with Enriqué yet, but with his promise of keeping his heart only for me I was confident that I would fall head over heels for him in no time.

**~RMCR~**

**Two Days Later**

**Enriqué**

After keeping the secret of my love for Raquél hidden from Felicia and Eva for a few days, they seemed to realize that there was something I wanted to shout to the world. As we walked from the Catholic Church to the nearby café that Sunday afternoon, I pretended to be oblivious to the hinting nudges and rising eyebrows they gave me in an attempt to make me surrender.

"We know you're hiding something, Quique. And we're not stopping till you tell us what's going on," Eva interrogated me through her narrowed, skeptical gaze.

"If it's about a guy problem I don't want to hear it, but if it's about a certain _special_ someone we'll totally keep it a secret."

Felicia had me convinced that she and Eva would keep my secret between the three of us, but knowing how they would react to my feelings left room for concern.

An alert bell sounded as we pushed through the entrance of the small corner café, and instead of flocking to the counter to purchase our usual batch of fried dough I coaxed my cousins to an empty booth in the corner.

"You guys know that Raquél has been tutoring me long before we decided to date, right?" I began discreetly.

"Yeah, and this is going to be the third week."

"Well, even though we've been dating for over a week it feels like I've known her all my life. She's everything I could have ever wanted in a girlfriend, but recently I've had a change of heart."

The girls fell silent thinking that my statement was going to declare a sudden disinterest in Raquél, and empathetically gazed at me, their palms resting atop their chests.

"Oh, honey. You don't like her anymore? I thought it was your dream to win Raquél's heart," Felicia sighed, devastated.

"I may have won her heart, but she definitely stole mine... I love her," I said proudly.

A wave of silence fell over my cousins, which was a rare occurrence that only meant that my confession had rendered them speechless. Felicia was the first to recover, covering her mouth to silence a stunned gasp.

"Oh, my God, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you, Quique," she congratulated me before kissing both of my cheeks.

We both knew that the news came as an obvious shock to dramatic Eva, who remained frozen in place with her jaw nearly to the floor. Soon she snapped out of her overwhelmed trance, and she let out a piercing shriek of excitement before stretching across the table to hug me. Other patrons watched Eva as if she was crazy, but that didn't stop her from jumping up and down in her heels.

"Oh, my God, finally! You're in love with Raquél! This is _sooo_ romantic!" she squealed while fervently clapping her hands together.

Eventually, Felicia and I found it amusing as she grew exhausted by her own excitement and leaned against the wall for support.

_"Respirar, Eva. Respirar,"_ she panted to herself in Spanish before settling into her seat once again.

"When did you decide that you loved her?"

"Over the past two weeks I've been having these indescribable feelings about Raquél—so much that it kept me up at night. I didn't realize that I was in love until New Year's Eve. When I went to her house to pick her up, I heard her sing for the first time and she had the most amazing thing I've ever heard! That explained so much. She couldn't be any more perfect to me, and I love everything about her: Her eyes, her intelligence, her laugh, her curves... Even the cute, little dimples on the backs of her shoulders. I love Raquél Richmond, and I can't ignore it anymore," I said.

My cousins were on the verge of tears by the time I had finished my declaration. But they quickly realized the predicament I was faced with.

"Wait a minute. You're not planning on telling her anytime soon, are you?" Felicia questioned. "That could totally scare her off if she's not ready to fall in love."

"No, I won't tell her yet. She's still a little worried about getting hurt because we haven't been dating for long. Remember, Carlos dated her for three weeks before she got her heart broken, so it must be hard for her to accept that I won't hurt her. If anything, I'll wait at least a few months until I think she's ready."

Just then the alert bell sounded again, which caused us to glance up. A grin crept onto my lips once I recognized Raquél strolling through the glass doors looking as cheerful as ever. Her eyebrows furrowed once she noticed my perplexed expression.

"Why do you look so confused? Didn't you get my text?" she questioned before greeting me with a kiss.

I dug through my pocket and checked my phone, only to realize that it had been left off before the church service.

"No, I'm sorry. I kept it off the whole time during church."

After exchanging eager hugs with Eva and Felicia, Raquél squeezed beside me in the booth and rest her head against my shoulder.

"That's okay... I fell asleep in church this morning. We don't go very often, but my mom was feeling guilty about getting drunk the other night and wanted to repent," she giggled.

"So, what brings you here, Raquél?"

"Well, I thought about what I told Enriqué the other night about my SAD, and it's only fair that—"

"SAD? What's that?" Eva asked out of curiosity, leaning forward.

"My Social Anxiety Disorder. It makes me extremely antisocial in situations otherwise 'normal' people can handle. I told Enriqué that I start shaking when I have to talk to someone I don't know, or that I get dizzy when I'm in public and I feel that everyone is judging me wherever I go."

"Oh, no I'm so sorry. I just thought that you were really shy," Felicia empathized softly.

"Don't feel sorry for me; I've learned to accept myself. Obviously it's not as crippling as a few years ago, because I have friends now. I'm coming out of my shell. Before I came to high school I never thought I'd be able to talk to other teenagers without stuttering and blushing."

"You're really an inspiration to me, Raquél. I don't think that I would have made it as far as you if I was in your position. But you've shown me how strong you were ever since I met you in the locker room," Eva praised, and reached across the table to touch Raquél's palm.

"Did I mention that Quique practically bragged about what an amazing singer you are?"

Letting out a mortified gasp, Raquél gave me a playful slap on the arm and hid her face.

"You told them? Oh, I feel so embarrassed!" she exclaimed, giggling adorably.

"Don't be. You have the voice of an angel, Raquél. I think anyone would be shocked to hear something so powerful come out of such a little girl."

My cousins seemed to enjoy the cute interaction between Raquél and I, bursting into coos or squeals whenever I grasped her hand to kiss it. To my surprise she was comfortable with the idea of kissing in public as long as they were executed in short, chaste pecks to the lips. Knowing that it was going to take time for her to gain more confidence, I respected the boundaries she'd set in an effort to keep our relationship at a steady pace.

The secret of the passion I felt for her was nearly bursting at the seams, but for her sake, patience and understanding was going to be the quickest way to earning her love.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Now that my relationship with Enriqué was in full swing, the only concern that remained was whether my father would accept him as easily as my mother had. After spending some time with her boyfriend Troy, I'd begun to acknowledge him as a competing father figure in place of my birth father. He seemed to understand what I had to endure on a daily basis with my social struggles and bully issues, and showed a deep interest in making sure that I had a ride to school every morning. I couldn't face my own father after he attacked Troy in the corridor at my house. He was like a monster, beating mercilessly on him in front of me and my siblings and leaving my mother unable to trust him with us. So far, Troy proved to me that he would keep the promises he kept to my mother and to us by slowly gaining our trust through outings to restaurants and amusement parks.

But once Andre discovered that his 14 year old daughter was dating a man five years older, he made a furious and unexpected arrival at my apartment one night. As expected, my mother did not take too kindly to seeing her ex-husband after he assaulted Troy. Not only was I shocked to find him at my doorstep, but he looked as if he had been to hell and back. It was not hard to figure out that he had possibly been involved in a recent fight, and apparently lost.

"Who the hell did I catch you kissing earlier? Have you lost your mind little girl?" he bellowed once I opened the door, which sent me running to the kitchen to my mother.

I hid behind her and burst into frightened tears as she stormed into the foyer, ready to defend me.

"Excuse me? What gives you the right to barge in here and interrogate my daughter?"

"She's my daughter, too! And that gives me just as much of a right to discipline her as you!" my father argued, pointing a finger at my face.

"What the hell are you trying to discipline her for?"

As my cries settled into quiet hiccups, I silently grasped my mother's hand and rest my head against her shoulder.

"When I was on my way to the gas station, I happened to pass Raquél's school and I caught her jumping into some boy's car before she started kissing him! I don't know why you would allow her to get into a car with some boy she doesn't know."

"Well, if you were more interested in what your daughter is doing you would know that he's her boyfriend. She's been tutoring him for two weeks," she explained irately.

I found it difficult to look into Andre's bloodshot gaze, as they shot daggers into my skin. But I sensed his outrage once my mother mentioned that Enriqué was my boyfriend.

"Boyfriend? Did I allow you to have a boyfriend Raquél? You'd _better_ not be tutoring him in this house, Missy!" he shouted angrily, but he could not have been more accurate.

Before I thought about letting my mother confirm his fears, reminders of my former resolutions arose in my thoughts. Although standing up for myself was going to be a tough step to take, I decided that I would never learn to stand up for myself in school if I could not even stand up to my own father.

Confidently I stepped forward and bravely stood my ground.

"As a matter of fact, Papi, I do tutor him here afterschool. His name is Enriqué, he's 19 and… yes, he is my boyfriend," I confessed.

Unfortunately, Andre was not too happy to hear about the significant age difference between me and Enriqué.

"_Nineteen?_ And you trust her to be alone with this boy, Gabriella? I don't want my daughter dating some punk ass kid; especially one who's over 18! For all I know, they could be doing God knows what with no one around!" he accused, which punctured a deep wound in my heart.

I could not believe that my own father was accusing me of having sex with Enriqué when I only tutored him in the afternoons.

"What are you assuming, Andre?"

"I am not like that, Papi. And you don't know Enriqué. He takes care of me, he makes sure that I'm safe, and he's faithful to me unlike _you_ were to Mami!" I retaliated boldly.

Suddenly he seized my arm in a vice-like grip and raised his palm above my head. Before he could attempt to hit me, my mother pried his hands off of me and slapped him harshly.

"Don't you dare put your hands on my daughter! I don't care if you're her father. She lives under my roof and I completely trust her alone with her boyfriend. You should be ashamed of yourself for assuming that Raquél would do something other than helping him with his grades. I mean, you haven't even met the boy!"

The slap did not seem to have an effect on my father, but in his furious and shocking condition, my sisters ran off in tears and locked themselves into their rooms.

"You can say what you want, Gabriella. I know for a fact that our daughter is capable of manipulating anyone and she constantly pretends to be this innocent victim. She's probably not even a virgin anymore! _A fucking little slut, that's what she is!_" he bellowed.

A wave of stunned silence overcame my mother and I, not just because we were shocked that Andre could call me such a terrible name, but mainly because the old wounds from my heartbreaking experience had reopened.

I was more humiliated than I was furious.

"I hate you! I hate you so much!" I screamed while storming off to my bedroom.

Meanwhile, my mother went to work kicking Andre out.

"Get out of my house now and don't bother coming back! Do you hear yourself? You sound just like those kids who bully her! Troy is turning out to be an even better father than you since he actually listens to her!"

By the time the front door slammed to a close, I was locked into my room and sobbing into a pillow. How could my own father call me the only name that caused the most damage to my self-esteem? Before my mother filed for divorce he was aware of my bullying problems in school and the names they would call me on a regular basis. Now I had no reason to love my father anymore, and I had no choice but to pass on my love for a father figure onto Troy. But it did not seem to be enough. I had plenty of love for my mother, my siblings, Troy along with my entire family, yet somehow I sensed that my love was bound to spread to other people besides my family.

The problem was, I had no idea who else I would love.

Almost immediately after my exit, quiet knocks sounded from across the room.

"Raquél, baby? _Por favor, abra la puerta..._ I want to talk to you," I heard my mother's pleading voice.

As much as I wanted to spend the rest of my night crying, I thought it best to talk instead of bottling up my emotions like I used to do. Reluctantly, I wiped my tears away before letting my mother in. The tears arose yet again as she engulfed me in her arms, hoping to soothe my pain with the gesture.

"Oh, _Ángelita_, it's okay. Mami will make this all better," she whispered into my ear.

We both lay across my bed and grabbed a pillow to hold.

"What a jerk, huh? It's bad enough that he wants to control your life without being there for you, but it's even worse that he would cross the line the way he did. He obviously doesn't know his daughter."

"I know that you always tell me to forgive someone after they've wronged you, but how can I do that after he called me a... I can't even say it. I hear it enough from Maya and her clique," I replied sadly, while playing with my hair.

"I understand, baby. Even though it's true that you're not a virgin it's no reason to be called a slut by your own father. And I do trust you with Enriqué because he's clearly not like the boy who hurt you, and you've learned from your mistakes so I'm sure that you won't do it again. But I'm proud of you for speaking up for yourself," my mother praised, and pressed her lips against my forehead.

As the thought of the diamond bracelet crossed my mind, I glanced down at the accessory and grinned.

"Maybe I should've shown him the bracelet Enriqué gave me. Do you think he would've changed his mind about him?" I giggled, holding my wrist in front of my mother.

I recalled her shocked expression on New Year's Day when I returned home and thrust the bracelet under her nose. My mother was impressed that Enriqué used the charms to represent his promise to me, and determined that he must have considered me as more than just a girlfriend.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. But I was not prepared to hear her reply.

"He must be in love."

A few days ago I doubted that Enriqué had fallen in love with me over the course of the two weeks I'd tutored him, and just after a week of dating.

Although it was going to be tough to swallow this stunning possibility, there was no doubt that Enriqué's feelings for me seemed to intensify over the past few days. Truthfully, I was afraid knowing that he was in love with me and possibly expected me to fall in love with him also. Whether or not my mother really trusted with me alone with Enriqué wore heavily on my conscience.

"So, Mami... you really trust me alone with Enriqué? Even though we're dating now?" I questioned as I pulled out of her embrace.

"Of course I do, baby. Don't worry about it! I swear on my _Bisbuela's_ grave that I completely trust you with Enriqué," my mother promised while drawing an invisible cross on her chest.

"Okay, I believe you. Besides, if I was in deep love with Enriqué and I wanted to get intimate I'd have to get your consent, for one thing. And secondly it would be extremely illegal on Enriqué's part."

I kissed my mother goodnight before she approached the door with a chuckle.

"I know what you mean, sweetie... Once the hospital found out that your father was 17, he was nearly sent to jail for getting a minor pregnant. Statutory rape is still rape even if the thought never crossed his mind," she warily reminded me.

Once I was left alone to battle my conscience, I grew scarlet in the face at the thought of falling in love with a charming and protective man like Enriqué. But what clues did I have to figure out if he was really in love with me?

I fell back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling in deep thought.

It meant nothing if his voice fell hushed when he said my name in a thick Cuban accent, and grinned whenever he involuntarily rolled the first letter. So what if he gazed into my eyes for minutes on end and smiled his widest whenever I smiled? Then again, Enriqué always seemed to have a difficult time leaving my apartment in the evenings, holding my hand until the last possible second before we would depart. I found it touching yet strange that he wanted to spend every moment of the day with me. He talked about his future as if he wanted me to have a part in it, and encouraged me to introduce myself to his family. Instead of shying away when he sensed that I was emotional, he urged me to express my feelings. I had nothing to worry about knowing that he was ready to protect and support me at the first sign of adversity. He made sure to give my self-esteem a daily boost by telling me how beautiful or intelligent or talented I was. Although I had no experience in relationships, something had to be said for the infatuation Enriqué had for me.

For an exception to my New Year resolution, I would have to let love find me before I could fall head over heels in love.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

**Later That Night**

_It's no longer the cold, dead of winter. Just like the rosebuds peeking from the dark, rich soil, Springtime has returned in its full and beautiful glory. _

_So has my Angel. _

_In the golden abyss I find her glowing Emeralds through the forest of Cherry Blossom trees. As I begin my unhurried approach, I think about how fortunate I am to have this girl in my life. She's the reason I wake up every morning, the reason I want to succeed. She's the girl I suffer for, the girl I fight for, and the girl I would die for. She doesn't know it but everything is perfect about her. She is the embodiment of purity, mystery and beauty. Her name is Raquél María Consuela Richmond. _

_I love her. _

_The eager smile on her face grows bigger once we are in arm's length of each other, and I prepare myself for the honeyed taste of her lips. Every delicate touch seems to inject life into my veins, pumping the vital elixir into my heart; coursing through my very soul. My lips pulsate and tremble against hers as if a spark of electricity had connected them during the kiss. _

"_I missed you," Raquél whispers. As the trees sway in response, I feel her grip tighten around the material of my shirt while our lips remain separated by mere millimeters. _

_It's time to get this off my chest. She must be feeling the exact same way about me. I tuck a curl away from her face so that her gaze pierces right through me. _

"_I love you." _

_I am afraid of her reaction. But her cheerful features do not fade, and her grip on my shirt tightens even more. _

_She just giggles and says, "Catch me if you can." _

_Suddenly I blink a quick, dark blink and she is lost somewhere in the Cherry Blossom forest. _

"_Catch me, Enriqué..." _

_The wind carries her voice further into the trees, drawing me closer to the amber wonderland ahead. The chase begins innocently enough and I find myself darting through a path of fallen pink petals, where a flurry of wind spurts them against my chest. Her distant giggles are enticing once I skid around another corner, but she seems to have disappeared into thin air. Behind my back I hear a brief shuffle. With a wild spin I glance around in time to catch the fringe of her dress flowing in midair. _

_Now I stand at the edge of a shallow pond that is littered with stepping stones. Raquél resembles an ethereal, woodland nymph as she stealthily leaps from stone to stone, wearing nothing but a short, white dress and a crown of white roses. _

"_Catch me!" she challenges again. _

_I calculate her taunting and deliberate steps: one quick jump for every stone, because her legs are shorter. But I know that I can get across four stones in one leap, and within seconds, I easily close the gap between us. An echoing squeal pierces the open sky once I reach out to grab the skirt of her dress, making her efforts to escape dwindle. _

_I want her in my arms now. _

_The earth suddenly tilts upward, which sends me colliding against the cluster of wet stones. The dress slips out if my grip as I fall into the pond, letting the girl hop out of my sight. I'm not hurt at all, but I can't get up. _

_I watch sadly as the nymph Raquél continues to leap effortlessly onto each stone towards the golden abyss. She turns around and beckons to me with a wave of her palm before leaning up onto her toes. She disappears into a torrent of pale pink, Cherry Blossom petals, leaving me with the only clue that revealed that she remains in the forest, waiting, listening, and hiding. _

"_Catch me!"_

A muted thud outside my door forced my eyelids open, putting an end to the torturous dream. Reality seemed to strike with a vengeance and reminded me that it was still early in the morning. Four in the morning, to be exact.

"Damn it," I cursed to myself as I realized that I was going to become groggy later that day.

But that wasn't my main concern. I wanted to get to the bottom of that dream. After pulling a shirt over my torso I wandered through the short hallway and into the kitchen, where I found my mother sipping a cup of tea. She casually overlooked my presence and grinned.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" she guessed in Spanish.

"I slept, but not for long. I had a dream about Raquél, _Mamá_."

Eager to hear what kind of dream I had about my new girlfriend, my mother climbed up and took a seat on the island and patted the space beside her.

"_Ayy, dime hijito_ (tell me, son)."

"Well, it starts out in this forest where I'm completely surrounded by these Cherry Blossom trees. And when I see Raquél, obviously I approach her and kiss her. But as soon as she told me that she missed me, I couldn't control what I was about to say. So I said, 'I love you.' Even in the dream I thought that she was going to freak out, but instead she disappeared and told me to catch her. Next thing you know I started to chase her through the forest, and it was like she was some kind of fairy because she kept disappearing and reappearing; outsmarting me at the same time. Eventually we ended up at this pond and she was jumping over these rocks way ahead of me. To her it was a game but I just wanted to know why she was running. Finally when I caught up, I grabbed the back of her dress but before I could hold her I tripped over a rock and she got away and told me to catch her just before I woke up. Do you have any idea at all what that meant, _Mamá_? Because I don't know why I was chasing her."

Days after I had confided bin my mother about my love for Raquél, she was determined to provide me with advice that would make her fall in love with me.

"She's not ready, but you are. Perhaps that's why she was running," she simply replied after a moment of deliberation.

"I know that she's not ready, but what does that have to do with me chasing her?"

"Maybe deep down inside you want her to fall in love with you as quickly as you fell in love with her, but that's not possible because of her last relationship experience. She's afraid of getting hurt again, so she won't risk putting herself in a vulnerable position like she did before. It's not that she won't eventually fall in love but things like these need time, honey... All right?"

"Yes, I understand. I can't make her fall in love with me, but I can show her that she can give me her heart without having to worry about getting it broken," I said determinedly.

A reflective grin crept onto my mother's lips as she swept her palm through my hair.

"You're just like your father, you know that? Charming, protective, kindhearted... Raquél will be hooked in no time," she chuckled softly before kissing my forehead.

"Good night, _mi amor_. I'm going to bed."

"Good night, Mami. See you in the morning."

As I was left alone in the kitchen, I thought about the praises I'd received from relatives and strangers since I was a child. They often commended me for my compassion and protective tendencies of others. I always appreciated their admiration, but never allowed my ego to inflate. My father was known for being a strong, loving and determined man. He tried for years and sacrificed his meager income to get us away from Cuba and into the United States.

If my mother including everyone I knew concluded that I was the spitting image of my father, I had many reasons to be positive about my future with Raquél.

**Unfortunately the next chapter will not be posted as quickly because I have to finish the last section, but no worries! I'll be working all week for you guys if my homework doesn't get in the way… P.S. check out the charm bracelet in my profile! Pretty please with sprinkles on top REVIEW! **


	18. Falling

**Again I'm very thankful for those who read this story even though it's not a High School Musical story. I truly work as hard and as fast as I can to create new chapters for you guys, and knowing that the numbers of readers have dwindled because of my lateness kind of discourages me. But I'm grateful for those of you who still read despite my shortcomings. I really would like to post a chapter a day like the other authors do but I like to make sure that each chapter is perfect in terms of depth and vocabulary. That's just how I write; I honestly can't help going into detail. I once contemplated putting the story on Fictionpress, but didn't again because I loved the support I got from the Fanfiction group. It's kind of upsetting that I get two or three reviews but I try not to let it discourage me. You guys keep me from giving up because I just can't stop writing. I love it and that's why I'm still here on Fanfiction. I'll have the next chapter posted as quickly as I can, but please have patience with me. Read, enjoy, and please, please review! :) **

**Chapter 18: Falling**

**Raquél**

"Licia, does Enriqué seem a little... different to you?" I questioned hesitantly as we sat in Study Hall that morning.

The pen between her fingers stopped abruptly, and Felicia glanced ahead in contemplation.

"Not really. Why?"

"Well, don't get me wrong. I love dating Enriqué. He's really sweet and protective, but lately he's becoming a little obsessive," I said.

Biting back a laugh, Felicia looked as if she thought I was overreacting.

"What do you mean?"

"Usually when we're walking through the halls or down the street, he doesn't just hold my hand, he tangles his fingers between mine and doesn't let go. Sometimes it's like he's almost afraid to let me go. And whenever I'm tutoring him he actually goes into my kitchen and makes me a snack. Speaking of tutoring, he now spends 80% of the afternoon holding me and kissing me, I swear. I mean, yesterday when it was raining I thought he was going to take off his coat and place it over a puddle!" I couldn't help giggling.

Felicia rest her chin on top of her palm in intrigue, but seemingly not surprised at the delicate treatment her cousin was giving me. She only shrugged and continued her homework.

"That's just natural behavior for Quique, trust me. Just enjoy this attention because you know what? This is the happiest I've ever seen the both of you. To be honest when I used to see you in the hallways I didn't think that it was possible for you to crack a smile. Now when I see you with my cousin, your eyes just light up and you have this huge smile on your face that's just impossible to wipe off. And with Enriqué, he's like a little boy on Christmas Eve! If you thought he talked about you a lot before you started tutoring him, just about every sentence that comes out of his mouth has your name in it—so much now that it drives me and Eva crazy. His grades and his skills have improved by, like, 1000%. I think it's safe to say that you've made him a better person."

Maybe I'd begun to slightly overreact knowing that Enriqué meant no harm with his affectionate tendencies, and simply wanted me to know how much he cared. Though the three weeks we had spent together slugged by at a snail's pace, we quickly grew close as friends before the start of our relationship. But I was beginning to worry that we had gotten close too quickly.

The air seemed to thicken, nearly suffocating me as I watched Felicia make random scribbles across the top of her paper. I swallowed hard before revealing what had been on my mind for the past few days.

"He's in love with me, isn't he?" my voice quivered with angst.

She immediately stopped writing and froze in place. There had to have been a secret that she was hiding from me, a secret that I was never meant to find out. But the look in her eyes revealed nothing but the truth.

"You guys have been dating for what, week? He wouldn't fall in love so quickly; you're... you're not ready. Th-that's just impossible," she stammered, failing to conceal her anxiety.

"I'm not going to freak out if that's what you think. Sure, I'm not ready to fall in love yet, especially since we've started officially dating. But I kind of like knowing that Enriqué's in love with me. It makes me feel wanted... Special," I confessed grinning.

Although I found comfort in knowing that Enriqué loved me, I made it clear that I was not quite ready to hear him say "I love you." Only then would I panic.

"Too soon?" Felicia guessed.

"Much too soon."

Hastily, we gathered our books once the dismissal bell rang and quickly filed out the door to avoid the lunch rush. On our way to the cafeteria I found myself glaring down an athlete from the basketball team, who approached me with a lustful gleam in his eyes.

"Wanna have a go with me, baby?"

Also offended by his comment, Felicia scoffed before shoving past the boy, pulling me beside her. It was not the first inappropriate run-in I had with a random boy since the beginning of that week.

"Guys at this school are such pigs! Why the hell would he even say that?"

She let me walk ahead of her in the waiting line, and I reached into the fridge to grab two bottles of milk.

"This has been happening to me all week. They must think that I'm easy just because I'm dating Enriqué... Idiots," I replied bitterly.

The incident was soon put to rest after Felicia and I collected our lunches and strolled towards a table near the window. Enriqué sat waiting at the end of the table, and sent me that cute grin of his. I became so lost in his eyes that I nearly collided with another table on the way.

"Maybe it's the way you dress and how you wear your hair," Felicia theorized my reason for suddenly gaining the attention of some of the boys in the student body.

"What are you girls talking about?"

Hoping to dismiss the matter for good, I pulled Enriqué into a long kiss in an attempt to make him forget. But he didn't, to my dismay.

He tucked my curls behind my ear as he licked his bruised lips, and asked, "What is it?"

"Well, um... Don't get mad, but ever since we've started dating I seem to attract random guys, and they've made it perfectly clear what they want from me," I explained nervously, knowing that he would want to hunt down these boys and kill them if he found out who they were.

Immediately he began to scan the cafeteria with intense, scrutinizing eyes. "What did they say?"

"All kinds of things. One invited me to a house party; another one said that his parents would be gone for two days. One guy even wanted me to meet him in the boy's locker room. But they all wanted one thing, and they're fully aware that you're my boyfriend. It's really disgusting and annoying."

I sensed that Enriqué was ready to send a few people to the hospital once he slowly got to his feet. "Show me all the guys that talked to you," he said calmly, which I found extremely unsettling. His 6'2", 210 pound frame was nearly impossible to restrain as I pulled him down to his seat. Though I knew that he was an exceptionally gentle man, I feared what he was capable of doing for my protection.

"It's okay, Enriqué; I ignored them. But please. Don't get yourself in trouble over me. I'm fine," I reassured him.

Letting out a sigh, Enriqué wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed my forehead.

"Just looking out for you, Sweetheart," he said haphazardly.

The table fell unbearably silent as Enriqué realized the nickname he had christened me. Felicia also sat still, wide-eyed and stunned. Eva seemed to show up at the worst possible time, and glanced around innocently.

"Are we having a silence contest?" she joked, laughing softly.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yeah, it's my nickname for you... Is it okay if I call you Sweetheart sometimes?"

He looked nervous as if I was going to reject the name, but I thought that it was cute.

"Of course. Does this mean that I have permission to call you Quique?" I asked with a giggle.

The whole cafeteria seemed to be watching in jealousy as Enriqué leaned in to peck my lips.

"Definitely."

After school I decided to invite Felicia and Eva to my house to study for midterms. They marveled over my baby brother and sister once I stopped by the daycare before we left, and found delight in pampering them with adoring hugs and kisses. Knowing that they were in good hands, I let them hold my siblings until we arrived at my apartment.

A pleasant surprise courtesy of my mother greeted us upstairs and gave Felicia and Eva a peck to each cheek to welcome them. She must have been excited to see my friends, but I was not embarrassed... Until she disappeared into the kitchen and brought out a plate of sugar-coated _Mallorcas_ and bottles of _Goya Malta_.

"Mami! You're not exactly making the Goya stereotype go away!" I gasped, mortified.

"What stereotype, baby? Not all Boricuas use Goya. You're lucky I didn't decide to cook _arroz y habichuelas con pollo_—now that's definitely a stereotype."

Felicia, Eva and Enriqué did not seem to notice our small dispute once they reached for the sweet bread treats.

"I don't believe that stereotype..." Enriqué said. "I haven't seen you eating rice and beans yet."

"'Yet...' That means that you weren't around for the family dinner during Christmas. This place was obscene with arroz y habichuelas," I giggled while taking out my homework.

Eventually my mother left us alone to begin our study session, and decided to take my siblings to the grocery store. Once I listened for the lock to turn on the front door, I decided that it was time to tell Enriqué about the slew of comments I had received since lunchtime.

"Remember when I told you not to get yourself in trouble for me earlier? Well, the raunchy comments are starting to get worse. If I tell you who harassed me today, can you give them a warning?"

It was evident that he was trying not to let his anger boil over, but he calmly wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I'll try not to overreact, but... sure," he said.

"Okay so, after lunch I went to Chemistry class and some of Carlos's friends—you know, Mike, Derek, Sean and Ricky. They were trying to provoke me as usual by calling me names, but then they started saying that they would gang-bang me. I knew that they were just joking but just in case, I want to make sure that they don't try anything. Will you keep an eye on them for me?"

A pale mask of concern descended over Enriqué's features, and he nodded silently.

I knew that there was no reason for me to worry once he kissed my forehead and said, "I promise."

"Thank you so much, Quique. You're so sweet," I murmured while hooking my arms around his torso. "Do you think the coach will mind if I show up at football practice tomorrow? My mom told me that I can stay for the game later."

His worry completely diminished, and his face broke into a smile.

"Of course he doesn't mind! You can definitely stay for practice," Enriqué said happily.

Though we had mutual concerns for my safety, I knew that it was going to be hard for me to accept Enriqué's position on his football team, and that he faced the daily risk of injury. Now, I had reason to worry about _his_ safety.

**~RMCR~**

**The Next Day**

After school I anxiously made my way towards the local stadium that stood a block from the school. As much as I tried to convince Felicia to join me, she was busy volunteering at the animal shelter. Eva felt guilty about leaving me without having a friend to talk to, and lent me support once I confessed how nervous I felt about being around his teammates.

"That's no reason to_ not_ go. Look, I'll be with you the whole time; I promise."

"Uhh... Okay," I replied uncertainly, tugging at the zipper of my coat.

It came as no surprise that I found girlfriends of the other football players conversing on the bleachers, but once I spotted a few Superiors including Lynn and Rosa, I immediately turned back.

"Oh, God."

"Oh, no! You are not flaking out just because they're here. You came to be here for Enriqué and you're going to see him, or so help me I will drag you in there by your ear," she threatened jokingly, which managed to cheer me up a little. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Okay, let's go."

Steel butterflies seemed to execute their assault in the pit of my stomach once I caught Lynn nudging Rosa to look in my direction. I directed my gaze towards the field to avoid their deadly glares, where I found Enriqué in the middle of a scrimmage with his teammates.

As he burst through the blockade of players I could see the raw strength and power he usually kept hidden from me. He didn't know it but I knew what he was capable of, and he feared that I would think of him as a monster if I found out. Instead, I was amazed at his incredible skills on the field and his ability to tolerate the cool January weather, wearing only a grey sweat suit. However, it was drenched in sweat. Eva and I climbed the bleachers and took our seats far from the Superior girls, who continued to scrutinize my appearance from a few significant yards away. Meanwhile, Eva sent them a cheerful, undeterred smile in return. I had to find out her secret.

"I hope this isn't too personal of a question, Eva... but how old were you when kids started teasing you?" I questioned hesitantly, unsure that she could relate to me as much as I hoped.

"For as long as I can remember. I've always been the weird and quiet loner, so I guess that made me an easy target for other kids. I was born with bad vision and my parents had me in preschool wearing glasses; it got even worse in elementary school. They used to call me 'Four-Eyes,' tell me that I was as blind as a bat, and sometimes take my glasses so I'd have to chase them down. Then when I made 7 my mom decided that I needed braces because I had a severe overbite, and of course, the light teasing turned into bullying. In middle school I was so shy and awkward. I remember just sitting in class and reading until someone came up to me and stole my book and called me a geek. In the hallways they used to trip or push me and confront me just to humiliate me, which to me was a good day if I didn't get mystery meat dumped on me during lunchtime. Just about every day I would come home crying to my parents, then I would lock myself in my room for the rest of the night and just read until I felt better. I never had one friend at my school, and I hated sitting at lunch by myself or looking for a partner to work with in class. Even if I looked for the most quietest person besides me in the class, they didn't want to work with me like the others. I didn't think that anyone liked me. Seventh grade was where I hit rock bottom... There was this group of girls who called themselves the 'Scene Queens' and for reasons I wasn't even aware of, they started spreading rumors about me, stealing my clothes at gym and even beating me up. It got so bad at one point that one of them gave me a concussion and I was admitted to the hospital for, like, three days—it was awful! Whatever efforts they made to make my life miserable was working and eventually I fell into a deep depression. My grades were plunging, I barely ate or talked, and I just came to the conclusion that the only way that I was going to get out was by killing myself. I thought that no one cared. But I backed out at the last minute because I felt that things were going to get better from then on. And they did."

When I glanced up my eyes locked onto my boyfriend's gaze, and I smiled as he sent me a quick wave before blowing me a kiss.

"So, when did things start to get better?"

"Well, before my parents decided to transfer me to another school I met Felicia in Eighth grade, and we instantly hit it off. She basically took me under her wing and assured me that they all wanted what I had. Then in ninth grade when she moved on to a separate high school, I was heartbroken that I was going to be alone again. She was the only person who ever stuck up for me and made sure that the Scene Queens didn't try to hurt me. She's basically like a sister to me, since I'm an only child. I thought that I was doomed. But then I saw hope for myself again once I convinced my mother that I wouldn't get bullied at Philip Randolph High, and she believed me! It took a couple months for her to enroll me, but all the while, I was determined to change myself mentally and physically without forgetting who I was as a person. Lucky for me, I finally got my braces removed and after that I got my hair cut, a whole new wardrobe; and she allowed me to wear contacts. I spent almost every night rehearsing what I would say and how I would act, and eventually I discovered that acting like someone I wasn't was just forcing me to please the people around me and not myself. I had to let go of my sad past and live my life without any regrets. I started to change my attitude about life; look on the brighter side of things and decide that the only person who was holding me back was myself. That's why I'm such a positive person. Most people here just think that my cheerfulness is annoying and that I'm naïve, but me and you, we've been through what most teens will never experience... I'm just being myself. It's my way of saying that whatever you do or say to put me down, I've received much worse treatment and that I survived bullying," Eva explained proudly.

Captivated by her story, it quickly became apparent that Eva and I had much more in common than I had expected. It was a story of sorrow and triumph, something that I could fully relate to for the first time in my life. Perhaps my triumph was just around the corner. With someone who lived a life frighteningly similar to mine, I knew that Eva was my new best friend.

"Wow... I never would've guessed that we were so alike. My only exception being that I never had glasses or braces, but I can totally relate to you. I just need to learn how to stay immune from the Superiors' treatment and adapt the same attitude as you. But you'll help me, right?" I asked.

Without a word, Eva pulled me into a tight embrace and took my hands.

"Of course I will. That's what best friends do," she grinned warmly.

While we shivered in the cold weather, the coach blew his whistle and barked at the boys to start another drill once Derek stepped out of line. They all groaned and pelted him with their sweat rags. Enriqué in particular was upset by the setback, and shook his head in disappointment as he made his way towards a drinking fountain. Sensing that the team was going to spend another twenty minutes on the testosterone-infested field, he removed his sweatshirt, unaffected by the temperature.

I was thankful that I had been sitting, because my knees had never gone weaker than they ever did at the sight of his solid abdomen, large chest and rippling, vein-streaked biceps. As his torso gleaming with sweat I finally understood what cousin Nayna meant by a sweaty man was a hot man. His body was perfect. I wanted to run my hands down his tight abs and let him embrace me so that I could feel his muscles contract and relax around me. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest, beating faster and faster until I found myself searching for air.

Eva noticed the slight nibble I instinctively gave my bottom lip, and playfully nudged me.

"I saw that," she giggled teasingly.

"Saw what?"

"Don't pretend that I didn't notice you gawking at my cousin. You were totally checking him out."

Having hardly any experience in talking about boys, I only shrugged, not knowing how to respond.

"Don't worry. I've never had this type of conversation either," she laughed again.

I nearly passed out once Enriqué caught my eye and sent me a wink.

"Oh my God, he's going to give me a heart attack!"

I squealed, burying my flushed face in the sleeve of Eva's coat.

"Go, Raquél. He's calling you."

I brought my head up to discover that she was right, and prayed that I would not take an accidental plunge down the bleachers in my flustered state. He patiently waited at the base of the field as I carefully made my way towards him. My eyes lingered over his abs before I forced them upwards to meet his gaze.

"There you are, Raquél. I just came to check on you. You guys okay up there? If you're cold or anything just let me know, okay?"

"Sure, o-okay," I stammered.

Relieved that I had no troubles so far, Enriqué gently tilted my chin upwards and spoiled me with a long kiss to the lips.

"After this last drill we can leave until the game, all right, Sweetheart?" I loved my new nickname.

"I'll be waiting, then," I flirted softly.

A grin crept onto my lips as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and gave me another wink.

All eyes were on me when I spun around to return to my place on the bleachers, and my stomach dropped once I spotted Eva collecting her book bag.

"Where are you going, Eva?"

Despondently, she stepped down beside me and pulled me into a long hug.

"My mom just texted me and told me that I'm going to miss my sister's ballet recital if I don't get to the Center in ten minutes. I'll try to make it back in time for the game, but I can't promise anything," she replied hurriedly.

"Well, w-what am I going to do here by myself?"

"No need to worry, Raquél. You can start your homework or read a book... I really wish I could stay but my mother's expecting me to be there."

Nearly panicked, I fearfully glanced towards the small group of Superiors as they slowly drifted closer, ready to pounce.

"But what if they try to harass me? They're already coming over here."

Hoping to alleviate my distress, Eva calmly turned back to me and gripped my shoulders as if to shake some sense into me.

"You have an iPod, right? Just play some music, read your book and ignore them. Text me if you need to talk to me, but really I have to go now. I'll see you later, hon',"

Eva reassured apologetically before making a hasty beeline towards the stadium exit. Taking her advice to heart, I dejectedly made my way back to my seat and pulled out my book and MP3 player. However, no matter how much I scooted or climbed in different directions, the Superior girls managed to snake beside me.

Before the first sneering comment could seep into my soul, I increased the volume on my device, opened my book to its marked page and shut out the world around me like I always did.

I had to listen to Eva's advice more often if I wanted to be as immune to the Superiors as her.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

During the last few minutes of practice, I turned my gaze towards the massive row of bleachers on the opposite side of the field. Once I spotted Raquél I'd begun to notice a stark difference between her and the other girls who sat just feet above. She did not easily socialize with other girls her age.

While the few regular and Superior girls conversed and laughed within their groups, she sat in her own silent world with her head buried in a large novel, and music blasting in her ears. Their positions showed that were carefree and relaxed, but Raquél remained stiff and introverted on her own terms, hoping to avoid socializing for fear of being judged. They were outgoing; she was reserved; their egos were large enough to carry them off like balloons while she was struggling to find just an ounce of confidence to feel normal. Little did they know that underneath that guarded shell was a girl who was just as confident and outgoing as them. Except, she had a unique gift of intelligence beyond her years and a compassion that showed an understanding of human nature. Raquél was surely not like other teenager girls, but she was extraordinary.

And I loved her for that.

"Raquél!" I called aloud to catch her attention, then waved my arms in the air.

She couldn't hear me, but saw my wild gesture and quickly stood up to approach the sideline. After spending weeks observing her behavior and emotions, I quickly began to notice how her mood would change when faced with a threat. I knew that she was nervous when she lowered her voice and spoke only in Spanish. Already I could read her like a book.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing is wrong," she lied.

"Are you sure? You're nervous; I can tell. If you don't feel comfortable around those girls, take my keys and wait in the car while I get dressed. Would you like to do that, or would you prefer to wait here?" I offered gently, while digging into my pocket.

Meanwhile, her shoulders tensed as Lynn, Rosa and their girlfriends sauntered by whispering degrading names to Raquél. She closed her eyes in relief once they left and nodded.

"Please... give me the keys." I briefly kissed her before handing over the car keys.

"All right, but be careful by yourself. Lock the doors just in case," I suggested as my coach began to call me into the locker rooms.

She seemed to cheer up slightly, managing a smile once she gathered her book bag.

"Okay I will, Quique."

While she made a path towards the fenced exit, I lovingly gazed at her back and the way her hips swayed as she walked.

When she was slightly far away, and I felt brave enough, I murmured, "I love you."

For her appearance I sensed that I was going to take heat from my teammates once I stepped into the locker room, and the room fell silent. The Superior boys especially sent glares my way, but I was not one to be easily fazed. After taking a quick shower, I changed into a new pair of boxers and emerged to find that the darkened stares had not let up.

"What's up, guys?" I said as if nothing had happened.

Of course, Mike decided to retaliate angrily.

"What's up? You're ruining your image, that's what's up."

No longer concerned about my former superficial image, I merely scoffed and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a shirt.

"What image? I'm done with all of that nonsense. And don't lecture me about Raquél because you don't know her," I retorted calmly, hoping not to incite an unnecessary dispute.

"Well, it's not my fault that she's a cry-baby loser. That's not all: she's a nasty little slut. How many times has she given you a happy ending?"

Now I was angry.

The other boys flinched as I slammed my locker shut.

"None! She is not a slut because she doesn't sleep around like you all say. She's just trying to get through high school, but you and your dumb clique insist on making every day for her a living hell!"

My young girlfriend's feelings were no concern of the few Superiors, who callously laughed at my efforts to defend her. When it became clear that they didn't have any further comebacks about Raquél, they turned the ridicule onto me.

"Whatever, Sanchez. You're just trying to get some ass from her. You're probably still a virgin since you didn't bang Maya... You'd have to be _gay_ if you didn't," Mike sneered laughing.

The comment seemed to echo throughout the locker room, which caused bursts of cruel laughter to swirl around my head. Now that the truth was out, I had no choice but to endure the taunting. As much as I wanted to explode in a fit of rage, I bravely stood my ground as Derek circled me before giving me a light pat on the cheek.

"What's wrong, Superstar? I thought all Quarterbacks were supposed to score... Don't tell me you haven't yet!" he gasped mockingly.

Despite my unfazed façade, my knees trembled, my palms grew sweaty, and my chest tightened as my heart began to race. Was this what Raquél experienced whenever she was confronted by the Superiors? If so, I would never again wonder why she froze upon spotting Maya or Carlos.

_No wonder she couldn't trust me at first._

I spoke in a low voice so that no one would hear the intimidated crack in my voice.

"So what if I am a virgin? Is it wrong that I want to save myself for someone special in the future?"

"You hear that, guys? Sanchez won't fuck a girl 'cause he's looking for his soul mate. Aww, isn't that sweet?"

Derek continued to taunt, pouting his lips with mock sympathy.

"Who believes in that crap, anyway? This school's packed with hot sluts who'll put out for you on command. Face it! You just don't wanna admit that you're a 19-year-old virgin."

"It's better that way than to have sex with every girl you date. And unlike you, Mike, I would never cheat on my girlfriend with anyone else... And if I ever catch you or any one of these punks trying to hurt my Raquél, I will _kill_ you without any regrets," I retorted threateningly, before storming out with my things.

That afternoon I learned a harsh truth. Before, I wasn't aware how much bullying affected a person mentally and emotionally, until I was placed on the other side of popularity.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

With a few minutes to spare before Enriqué had to head back to the stadium, we now faced the predicament of waiting in his car until the heavy downpour subsided. While we sat patiently I confided in him about my lack of improvement in the National Honor Society.

"Mrs. Davis completely singled me out about leadership and my character in the program. I'm so outgoing with my family and with you guys... Why can't I stop being afraid and get involved for once? I obviously wasn't born like everyone else" I recalled despondently.

"Maybe it's because you think you have to act the way people expect you to act. Sometimes you're reserved and you isolate yourself from everyone else, but I can't blame you for not wanting to participate because it's like a label that you can't get rid of."

I was impressed.

"Wow, where'd you learn that?" I questioned curiously.

"My sister has an entire collection of these complex psychology books in her room, and when I'm bored I read them to improve my English. You learn a lot of interesting things about the human mind."

"Like what?" I challenged.

"Well, there's one section that's my favorite... About romance. Did you know that it's characterized by low serotonin? Low serotonin is like the obsessive thinking connected to romantic love— the kind similar to OCD. And when you're in love, your brain releases the serotonin chemical. At the same time, dopamine increases with risk taking, so we tend to look for what's new and exciting."

Now he was talking about love. Coincidentally, his pupils grew dilated and his voice grew husky and vulnerable. I doubted that this meant anything, but it was obvious that Enriqué had fallen for me.

"I know what serotonin is, but I never thought of it that way... So when people say that love is like a drug, they really mean it?"

"Of course. All because of a simple chemical," he confirmed, his gaze quickly falling to my lips.

As we kissed I'd begun to experience my own stimulating release of dopamine. My body trembled, my palms grew moist, and my breaths grew rapid. The shocking yet unmistakable discovery I recognized matched the exact symptoms I experienced when I found myself paralyzed by fear. But this fear was almost an exciting type of fear that I only encountered whenever Enriqué and I kissed or simply held hands.

The car seemed to grow stifling once he pulled away, and we silently exchanged shy grins. Outside, the distant crash of thunder was not getting any further, so I laughed in realization once Enriqué sent a conclusive glance out the window.

"This rain isn't letting up one bit... You do know what we have to do, right?" he hinted.

"I hope you brought an umbrella."

Not another second had gone by before he reached into the back seat and brought back an umbrella with the Cuban flag printed across it.

"I'm ready whenever you are," he chuckled.

Despite my short protest, Enriqué grew concerned for my health and insisted that I wear one of his jackets. The article seemed to weigh 30 pounds as I slipped it over my own thick coat, and the hood nearly covered my entire face when he pulled it down. Then he kissed my lips and said that I looked cute in his oversized jacket.

The sound of rain hitting the pavement grew lighter, louder as he opened the door to open the umbrella. He easily swiped up my heavy book bag and guided me out of the seat. That was when the downpour began to fall its heaviest. Almost immediately my feet became soaked inside of my boots, and with no time to spare Enriqué and I made a break for the now enclosed stadium.

"Ahh! My back is soaking wet!" I shrieked after we ran through a deep puddle of water.

Nonetheless running through the rain with Enriqué was the most fun I'd had all day with him, and the most comforting. Under that large, red, white and blue umbrella, scrambling for shelter and laughing at each other's occasional stumble; my arms wrapped tightly around my boyfriend's warm torso while the chill seeped into my bones, I realized that I was starting to fall in love.

I didn't know why or how, but if no other feeling could give me so much pleasure, I loved the feeling of falling in love. Cupid was not too far behind. He was watching over me, bow pulled back, ready to shoot me with his arrow.

**I'm very sorry if I've offended anyone with my author's note, but I felt that I had to get this out in the open instead of keeping this in my head. I feel much better now that I've said what was on my mind. How did you like this chapter? Please review and let me know! **


	19. Right At Home

**Chapter 19: Right At Home**

**Raquél **

I returned home cold, soaking wet, and with a slight cough. But I walked through the door smiling.

Yet again Enriqué had saved his team from a potentially disappointing loss by scoring the winning touchdown. While the Superiors and other teammates decided to throw an afterparty with alcohol and marijuana, he preferred to take me to Felicia's house and celebrate with a small, congratulatory gathering with his cousins. Since it was a school night I couldn't stay for long, but I would never forget my first time attending a school game. I vowed to be in the stands, quietly cheering for Enriqué from now on.

"You're home late. How was the game?" my mother asked as I removed my wet clothes and climbed into her bed.

"It was better than I thought. Enriqué won for the Cougars as usual, and then we went to Felicia's after."

"I'm glad you had fun, baby girl," she smiled at me before turning back to her novel.

"Mami... Can I ask you something?" I suddenly questioned.

Eager to give me her undivided attention, she placed the book onto the duvet and gathered me in her arms.

"Sure, Raquél. I'm all ears."

"How do you know when you're in love? N-not that I _am_ in love, but what do you feel when you're with Troy?" I partially lied, only because I knew of my mother's dramatic tendencies.

An automatic smile crept onto her lips as she sat back onto the row of pillows.

"Falling in love... It's unlike anything you can ever experience. It's indescribable how I feel when I'm with Troy... My heart begins to race, I get butterflies in my stomach; my legs shake with anticipation. You'll know when you're in love, because there's nothing quite like it."

She couldn't see but my eyes widened slightly. I was in love!

"Oh," was all I could muster in my state of shock.

While I was aware that my mother was a super-genius, sometimes I wondered if she had the ability to read my mind. She tilted my chin upwards and looked deep into my eyes. I could tell that they were dilated.

"You're falling in love, aren't you?" she gasped.

Instead of responding, I tunneled beneath the duvet like a mole rat and hid in embarrassment.

"Aww, _mi niñita_ is in love! Don't be embarrassed, Raquél—it's completely normal."

"But I didn't want to fall in love; not so quickly, at least," I whined, not knowing what to do.

I found my mother's warm gaze as she lifted the comforter from my face.

"This is something you should be excited about, mija. Love is a new and exhilarating milestone in a relationship, especially when both a boy and a girl have the same strong feelings for each other. I've seen the way you act around Enriqué and it makes me proud to see that you're being yourself because he accepts you for who you are. If you want this relationship to go further, you can't keep living in fear of getting a broken heart. If you're not ready now that's fine, but you can't stop these feelings. You can either deny them and live with the guilt or embrace them with all your heart and be happy," she concluded.

"But saying 'I love you' to Enriqué? I'd feel stupid saying it. It's just not something I would say to a boy. And he's not even a boy, he's a... man," I pointed out blushing.

"Well, if he tells you that he loves you first, don't force yourself to say it because it just doesn't feel right. If for some reason you feel pressure to say 'I love you' back, talk to him about it. I'm sure he'll understand how you feel since you're still a teenage girl. He's slightly more mature and you're still trying to understand love and boyfriends since this is your first serious relationship. I know it's scary for you but eventually, you'll be more than excited to confidently look him in the eyes and say, 'I love you, Enriqué.'"

Sighing, I had no choice but to accept my fate and glanced up at my mother for reassurance.

"Are you sure it's going to work? I mean, I don't want to hurt him or anything."

Leaving me to make up my own mind, my mother grinned silently and leaned in to kiss my forehead.

"Go to bed, Angel," she whispered.

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Night**

Whenever I was faced with a perplexing circumstance at any moment, my dreams usually provided an enlightening solution. That night, I wanted to know why I had fallen in love despite my fears of getting hurt. After cuddling up to my sleeping companion for the night (A'sharía), I pulled the covers up to my chin and closed my eyes. Hopefully, the answer would be as clear as day.

_English class dragged on by at its usual pace, and at my advanced level of Literature I found more interest in twirling my pencil between my fingers. Behind me Enriqué must have been occupied by something also, because his head remained ducked down for the past five minutes. _

_"Psst! Raquél!" came a sudden hiss, followed by a light tap against my shoulder. _

_I glanced beside me to find a flustered classmate rushing to finish what seemed like History homework. Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. I hated living with the assumption that I knew everything just because I was the highest ranking student at school. The boy pressed on with his question. _

"_What was the date that Hitler became Chancellor to that Nazi thingy?" he questioned hastily. _

January 30, 1933_, my thoughts automatically recited. What was I, a robot? _

_The desperate look in his eyes sent me on a guilt trip even though I was in no mood to help him cheat on his homework. _

"_January 30, 1933... And it was called the Third Reich," I sighed indifferently. _

_Without thanking me, the boy discreetly pulled a sheet of paper from under his English textbook and wrote the answer. I decided to move to the empty desk beside Enriqué's desk before he could ask me for any more answers. As curiosity got the better of me, I leaned towards his desk to steal a peek at the work of art he was busy creating. _

"_What's that you're making?" I asked softly. _

"_Something... for you." _

"_Aww, really? What kind of drawing is it?" _

_Silently, Enriqué placed the colored pencil at the edge of the desk before holding up the drawing to me. In the middle of the sheet was a black and white portrait of me, surrounded by a backdrop of scarlet red hearts and a frame of real red roses. On the bottom corner of the portrait was a cursive scribble of the words, "I love you, Sweetheart." _

_Shocked by the message, I didn't know what to say. _

"_What do you think of it?" he beamed, which made me even more guilty knowing that I wasn't ready for those words. I hated to think that I was going to burst his bubble. _

"_Um, w-well, it's—" _

"_Okay! Class is over, guys! Come prepared for the test and I will see you all tomorrow," Mrs. Brown suddenly announced aloud. _

_Saved by the bell. _

_I was up and out of the classroom before Enriqué could turn back to me, and rushed to my next class in fear of being scouted out for the rest of my reply. Unfortunately my boyfriend was just as fast, and I bit back a frightened scream once he had me cornered at the end of the hallway. _

"_Hey, why didn't you wait for me? I wanted to hear what you were going to say." _

_Enriqué was in love with me, and I couldn't deny his strong feelings because of the passionate gleam in his eyes. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't lie nor tell the truth because he was bound to feel disappointed no matter how gently I planned to let him down. Without a word I took the portrait from his hands and jumped on him with an embrace. _

"_I knew you would love it," I heard him chuckle. _

"_I do, um, love it," I said nervously. _

_Butterflies seemed to ricochet off every corner of my stomach as he pressed his lips against my ear. _

"_But not as much as you love me, right?" _

_My heart sunk. It was now or never to tell him how I really felt. _

"_Enriqué, you're a really compassionate, protective boyfriend to me and I know that you would do anything to make sure that I'm happy. But please... I'm not doing this to hurt you; I'm being completely honest. We've known each other for no more than a month and I know that it hasn't taken you long to fall in love with me. But I'm not ready to hear you say it and..." _

_Suddenly the sound of a glass shattering caught my attention, and I glanced past Enriqué to catch a glimpse of the broken object. But the current of students never paused to pay any mind to the mess. _

_However when I turned back to Enriqué, I recoiled in fear at the startling sight. His eyes were wide, dark and empty as he seemed to be staring into another dimension. He didn't move or speak, but was as still as a lifeless figure. He was lifeless, unresponsive as he lay across the cold linoleum. Meanwhile, the portrait of me was burning into a pile of ash._

"_Enriqué? Are you okay?" _

_Gasps of horror erupted all around me once a gush of dark red blood spread across his chest and spilled onto the floor. _

"_Enriqué! Oh, my God somebody help me! He's bleeding to death!" I shrieked, falling to my knees at his side. _

_Unable to find out exactly what had wounded him, I ripped open his shirt in hopes of investigating. To my relief, Felicia and Eva burst through the wall of bystanders and pulled me away from him. I became a sobbing mess once Eva wrapped her arms around me while Felicia pressed her head against his chest. _

"_There's no heartbeat," she diagnosed, wiping away a tear. "He's... gone." _

_Refusing to let him slip away from me, I gripped his shirt between my palms and attempted to shake him back into consciousness. I rubbed his chest, I screamed into his ear and I held his limp hand hoping that I could force an ounce of life in him. _

"_Enriqué, no! Wake up, Enriqué! Don't leave me, please!" _

_He never responded to my frantic calls. As I smoothed my palm between the valley of his chest towards his heart, I withdrew my palm in sudden pain. _

"_Ouch!" _

"_What's wrong?" Eva questioned. _

_When I inspected my hand to survey the damage, I was perplexed to discover blood running down my fingers. _

"_Something cut me," I said, then reached down to pick up the shard of glass I'd removed. "Glass?" _

_Yet again Felicia jumped into action and used her fingers to inspect him. Then, her palm sunk into the left side of his chest in a strange, nearly disturbing occurrence. In Enriqué's condition I couldn't bear to watch him being observed by the crowd like an exhibit on display, and clutched the portrait against my chest. His cousin's arm was covered in mucus and blood once she extracted what looked like a heart. But his heart was made of glass, which had been left with a shattered, gaping hole on the top half of the organ. _

_It was then that Felicia glanced up at me with an affirmative nod and confirmed my worst fears. Everyone also seemed to know the cause of my boyfriend's sudden and painful death, and looked down on me in condemnation. I was the cause all along. _

"_You broke his heart."_

I snapped out of the realistic nightmare in what seemed like the nick of time. My heart still racing, I sat up to wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead and climbed out of the covers. Brushing off the disturbing dream was not much of a challenge, but the lingering image of a dead Enriqué was going to haunt me for the rest of the day. At least it was just a dream and he was sleeping peacefully across the city completely unharmed. Apparently I was not the only one to have woken up at 3:00 in the morning. Beside me A'sharía began to squirm and fuss, an obvious sign of hunger.

"_Mamá... Mamá_," she whined while opening her arms to me.

"_No, yo no soy Mamá._ Come on, baby, let's get something to eat," I said to her before lifting her out of bed.

Hoping to place my focus on something else for the moment, I quickly maneuvered through the dark corridor and rest my sister onto the floor. I settled on a small bowl of cereal while I began to prepare a bottle of milk for A'sharía.

Just then, Aquilína emerged from the shadows rubbing her eyes, and froze once she found me.

"Hi," she smiled timidly.

"What are you doing up at this hour, Princess?"

"I couldn't sleep 'cause Chaya was snoring like a chainsaw!" I laughed as she imitated the sound with a loud snort.

"Well you can sleep with me if it bothers you that much, okay?"

"Okay... Why are you up?" my sister asked.

Neither Aquilína nor the rest of my siblings were normal children, but unique and creative because of their high IQs, also inherited from my mother. I couldn't fool them as easily as I could to a regular child.

"Don't lie to me. I can tell when you're lying. You were thinking about your boyfriend, were you?" she predicted, teasingly poking her finger against my elbow. A'sharía was slowly beginning to fall back asleep as the bottle was nearly drained empty.

"Guilty. And I had this weird dream about him. Apparently he died of a literal broken heart after I told him that I wasn't ready to hear him say 'I love you,'" I explained.

"Well, since I'm six I'm not supposed to understand relationships yet, but I guess he knows that you're not ready to love him and maybe it's kinda killing him inside... Something like that," she analyzed casually, as if she wasn't aware of her own intelligence.

Taking her clever observation to heart, I set the bowl aside and planted a kiss at the top of her forehead.

"Good thinking, Lina," I praised. "What else do you think I should do?"

Suddenly, Aquilína's features fell and she dropped her jaw at me in disbelief.

"Who am I, Oprah? I don't know the first thing about having a boyfriend!" she exclaimed.

I giggled to myself before plucking A'sharía out of the high chair.

"Just go back to bed."

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

"Maybe I'm pushing the progress of this relationship too quickly. It normally takes, what, a few months for someone to fall in love? Why did I have to in four weeks?"

"How many times do I have to repeat this, Quique? There must be some kind of strong, underlying connection between you two if these feelings had an effect on you early on. It may not be the most obvious reason, but what else could make you fall in love after one week of dating?" my sister questioned.

"I don't know, Fátima. Raquél is just the most special, deserving... amazing person I've ever met. Everything about her has this profound effect on me that I have no control over. Words can't describe how I feel when I'm with her, and all I can say to make up for that loss is by telling her, 'I love you,'" I explained, then sighed miserably once I remembered the one thing that was holding me back.

"Still... she's not ready. With the heartbreak she's had to endure, who knows how long it will take before she even thinks about falling in love? And the worst possible thing that I could do would be to make her feel pressured, like she has to fall in love with me or I'll leave her. But I'll never leave her because I'm the lucky one, and there's absolutely no one on earth who can replace Raquél. No one."

"Wow. Any more passionate and you'd be making out with the picture of her on your phone," she joked lightly before rubbing my back.

"Earning her love is going to be your reward for being patient. Just wait for her to catch up and it'll be smooth sailing for you and Raquél in the long run."

Uncertain whether my sister's advice was going to keep my emotions from spiraling out of control, I took another wary glance at the photo I'd taken of Raquél after the football game.

She had not expected me to sneak away from the chaos of our victory as soon as the game had ended, and she was left surprised after I wound my arms around her midsection and spun her in circles. Her infectious laugh pierced the cold, dark air as she tossed her head back against my shoulder. Unaware that I had my phone ready to capture her laughter, she glanced up at me with those striking green eyes and that taunting, playful grin on her lips. The spontaneous snapshot turned out to be a beautiful and candid moment, one that I would crack a smile at whenever I happened to come across the photo.

The next day once I met her in the library I swore she thought that I'd returned from Iraq as she clung to my torso, after crashing into me.

"I missed you," she murmured into my chest.

"I missed you, too," I chuckled while she eagerly guided me towards a table in the corner of the room.

"Come on... _Quiero mostrarte algo_ (I want to show you something)."

"Should I close my eyes if it's a surprise?"

"Umm, no need," she said.

Once she silently instructed me to pause in front of the table, she shyly opened her arms as if to present what was a portrait of me. It was my yearbook photo, yet I was stunned to discover that the photo had been transformed into a large painting. Every detail was so realistic and precise, one of the most incredible works of art I had ever seen. It gave me another reason to love this perfect girl.

"What do you think?" she questioned, biting her bottom lip in that cute, anxious manner.

"You painted this? _You? _This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen, Raquél! It looks exactly like my picture."

"Thank you. Last week my studio teacher told us to paint a portrait of someone we really cared about, so... I picked you. I hope you don't mind me putting it in the school newspaper. She asked because she thought that mine was the best," she grinned, then giggled as I gave her a gentle peck.

"It is the best, Sweetheart. You deserve recognition for all the hard work and dedication you put into creating your own art. People are going to see how talented you are and there's no doubt that you'll be a savior to kids who are constantly pushed aside for expressing themselves," I praised.

But Raquél quickly shook her head as if she denied the hidden power of her abilities.

"I-I don't know. The others aren't really interested in me, so why would they like my painting?"

"You don't know that for sure. If Maya and her friends didn't have the student body under their control, you probably would've had more friends than you do now."

Her face broke into a cute grin as she wrapped her arms around my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

"I don't want a lot of friends. I only need Felicia, Eva... and you," she giggled while poking my chest.

_I love you. _

I was thankful that my mind was equipped with a filter, because if not I would have blurted out how I really felt right in the middle of the library.

"Are you naturally cute or do you just do it to make me smile?"

Confused, Raquél didn't seem to understand the effect her adorable tendencies had on me. After handing her painting to the librarian to place in the gallery, we strolled the empty hallways holding hands.

"I'm cute? What is it that I do that you find so cute?" she questioned.

"Well for starters, your smile and the way your eyes light up. That's cute. And you're always the cutest when you squeak in your laugh and wrinkle your nose at the same time. Then there's the way you bite your bottom lip when you're nervous or trying to hide a blush."

As expected, Raquél involuntarily nibbled at her bottom lip as her cheeks reddened.

"See! There it is!" I exclaimed softly, which then caused her to laugh aloud.

"Stop it! It's not cute to me; I just can't help it."

"I can't get enough of your cuteness. It's unique just like you."

"You're so sweet. I think that you're also cute with your dimples. Even though you're 19 they make you look like a little boy," she said as we approached the cafeteria.

It was going to be just the two of us during the lunch hour, and without enduring pressure from my cousins I decided to invite Raquél to my house.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you something but... I'm just not sure how you'll react," I began nervously.

_"No se ponga nervioso. Dígame _(don't be nervous; tell me)," she said leaning closer to me.

"Alright, I will. Since we're now a couple and you've already introduced me to your mom, I thought that it would be best for me to introduce you to my family. They would really like to meet you this afternoon."

Suddenly a sheet of white spread over her face, and she automatically bit her bottom lip in apprehension.

"Um... I-I don't know. I'm not really good at meeting new people," she stammered. "Are they nice?"

"Of course they're nice, Sweetheart! I wouldn't even be with you if they weren't."

Still uncertain, Raquél glanced ahead and rest her chin on her palm.

"Okay, I guess. Maybe it'll be good for me since I'm trying to get over my fear of meeting new people," she concluded with an optimistic shrug.

"That's what I like to hear! Plus they're very curious to see your green eyes."

"You told them about... my eyes?" she giggled.

"Of course I did. No one else I know has eyes like yours, and for them it's interesting because they've never met anyone with green—no, Emerald eyes."

Finding my explanation strange, Raquél shook her head in disbelief and laughed again as she hooked her arm around my torso.

"Whatever you say, Enriqué... Just as long as they like me."

_I love you,_ my thoughts murmured again.

"Trust me, if I like you, they'll definitely like you. When I'm happy, they're happy."

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Afternoon**

**Raquél**

While my exterior façade remained composed and neutral, my heart was racing with panic on the inside. My stomach had been in knots since Enriqué and I left the school, and I felt as if I was going to end up throwing up on the floor of his car.

_What if they think I'm too shy? What if they don't like Puerto Ricans? What if they think that I'm immature or too young for him?_

These wary thoughts never seemed to let up as we entered Lower East Manhattan, about four blocks from his house.

"My mom and dad are there now, but my sister should be home a few minutes after we get there," he reminded me.

Enriqué didn't seem to notice that I was a complete wreck on the inside, until he looked into my eyes.

"Nervous?"

"Extremely," I sighed anxiously.

"It's okay to be nervous; they'll understand... If it helps, I was nervous when I first met your mom. And I didn't even get a warning in advance. Then as soon as the door opened, there she was. I nearly took off down the hallway because it was so unexpected," he laughed.

"Good thing she trusts you, huh?"

"I'm just relieved that she didn't jump to conclusions. The receptionist at your apartment still watches me like a hawk whenever I come over."

"You don't need his approval... My mom still likes you no matter how old you are," I said.

I hoped that Enriqué's family would feel the same way about me. Surely, they must have known about our age differences, and I feared that his parents would've wanted their son to date a girl who was at least 18, instead of a high school freshman.

At around 3:00 we had arrived at the large, two story house, which was located in the middle of a busy neighborhood, mostly populated by Latinos. All of the buildings except for Enriqué's house were apartment complexes. In the driveway, besides Enriqué's Audi, sat two other cars. His father clearly made the right decision in risking everything to bring his family to America, because they seemed very well off.

"We're basically the only Cubans in this neighborhood, so you should feel right at home," he chuckled.

As he began to fish through his pocket for his house keys, I anxiously wrung my palms together, hoping to expel the remainder of my nerves. Before stepping over the threshold, Enriqué grabbed me by the shoulders and tucked a curl behind my ear.

"Hey... Breathe. I can't introduce you if you're going to pass out."

Only once Enriqué reminded me that I needed to relax did I finally release a trembling breath.

_"¡Mamá, estamos aquí!"_ he called aloud as he guided me through the foyer and into the spacious living room.

Remarkably, I didn't feel out of place in the warm and inviting room, but observing the endless row of family portraits and decorative figurines made me feel as though I was at a relative's house. While Enriqué disappeared up the stairs to find his parents I took a seat on the brown leather couch and removed my coat.

I learned a lot about my boyfriend's family just by glancing around that living room. Enriqué's father must have been a mechanic when they were still living in Cuba, and as I gazed into the portrait I saw the conviction in his eyes, even with the dirt on his chest and his back against an old, American car. It was the same conviction I found in Enriqué's eyes whenever he looked at me. Beside the portrait hung a second picture of a beautiful woman wearing a fading blue, polka dot apron around her waist and a red bandana on her head. Her body was slightly tilted because of the seemingly heavy basket she carried in her hands, but she smiled anyway. It was a wary smile that held remnants of a harsh past but only defined her integrity. Enriqué looked just like his mother.

In the corner, Fátima, his older sister, eagerly pointed out the window of a plane down on the famous strip of Miami beach. In her eyes were a combination of awe and hope, perhaps knowing that despite the daily struggle to stay fed and sheltered, coming to America was worth the wait.

My face broke into a smile once I came across the precious portrait of Enriqué in diapers. It was dated January 17, 1990. He was 6 months old at the time, and a chubby baby at that. Accompanied by a backdrop of swaying coconut trees, he was captured crawling on the seat of a large bamboo chair. His wide, open mouthed grin showed off the single pair of bottom teeth, illuminating the joy and innocence in his eyes. Just like the dimples on his cheeks, his desire to share his affection remained as deep as the day he was born.

My gaze flickered onward at attention once I heard footsteps approaching from the kitchen, followed by a distant squeal. His mother must have been excited to see me, so why did I convince myself that she wasn't going to like me? Moments later, Enriqué emerged with a glass of water and a snack bar, then placed them on the coffee table in front of me.

"Thanks, but I wasn't really hungry."

"Just in case... They'll be out in a minute. My mom thought that you were coming over tomorrow and freaked out when I told her you were in the living room," he chuckled.

Just then, the doorbell echoed throughout the room, and grinned before crossing over to the foyer.

"That must be Fátima. I'll be back."

"Okay," I replied warily.

Now that everyone was coming all at once, my nerves returned with a vengeance. The man from the portrait, now a couple sizes bigger and with graying hair, immediately extended his palm towards me, smiling warmly. Hoping to cover up my nerves, I returned a friendly smile and took his hand.

"Good afternoon. _Mi nombre es Hector, y es un placer_ _conocerte. ¿Cómo estás, Querida?"_ he countered, eagerly shaking my hand.

"I'm fine, thank you."

Enriqué sensed my anxiety once he returned, and gently placed his hand on the small of my back to lend support. His sister in tow, she pulled me into a friendly hug and smiled.

"So you're the girl my brother can't stop thinking about. You're very pretty," she said.

Blushing, I couldn't help a flattered shrug. "Thank you."

"Now that you've met my dad and sister, my mom—"

_"¡Dios mío, qué linda!_ Is this her?" came the sudden exclaim from the staircase, which slightly startled me.

Enriqué's mother, who had also aged since the picture was taken, stepped into the room with her hand over her mouth. I gladly accepted her warm embrace as she wound her arms around me before giving me a peck on each cheek. Then she tilted my chin up and gasped in awe at my eyes.

"Oh, Enriqué... She's beautiful. _Y sus ojos son como esmeraldas_ (and her eyes are like Emeralds). Just like you said," she crooned while swiping the curls away from my eyes. "I'm Stella, darling. We've been waiting quite some time for this opportunity to meet you. Come, let's sit and you can tell us all about yourself."

Although I still felt nervous about talking to his family, Enriqué continued to remind me that I had already won his family's approval.

"So, my son told us that you are Puerto Rican, or half? What part is your Puerto Rican parent from?" Hector asked me in Spanish.

"Well, my mom's side of the family is from the city of Caguas and my dad is from Jamaica. All my siblings and I are mixed, but we all learn Spanish before English."

"I can tell. You speak very excellent Spanish. Now, Quique tells me that you are a very gifted girl... What's your G.P.A?" Stella questioned.

"Around 7.0."

The room swelled with amazed gasps, something that I had grown used to hearing over the years.

"Wow! I didn't even know that it could exceed a 4.0. Have you ever gotten an I.Q. test?"

"Actually, my mom tested and then made me do the test," I laughed.

"She scored 163 and I scored only 2 points below her."

"Well, it's no wonder Enriqué.is now getting straight A's. You're an Einsteinette. Good job!" his father praised.

"I can't take all the credit. Enriqué definitely knows how to do the work. I'm just there to give him an extra boost when he needs it." Enriqué and I exchanged coy grins as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"No, you're more than that... You're my motivation," he murmured into my ear.

That was when Stella murmured a brief apology before rushing out of the room. Concerned, Hector immediately followed her into the kitchen.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no! Not at all. It's just that a lot of the things Quique says remind her of my father when they were young, and they're still crazy for each other... You know, people say that my brother and Papi are exactly the same," Fátima explained.

As I stole a glance around the corner, I spotted Hector lovingly wipe her tears away with the pad of his thumb. The passionate gaze in his eyes resembled the look Enriqué gave me on a daily basis. While managing a composed smile, Stella mouthed _"Te amo"_ and leaned in to receive a kiss. It was the first time I had ever witnessed an older couple being affectionate with each other. My young grandparents were about their ages and they hardly kissed, so the sight came to me as a slight shock.

Once she returned, she sent me a compassionate grin and crooned at our closeness.

"Ohh, you two are so cute together... We prefer you much, much more than that evil girl Quique used to bring around here. Maya, or something like that. Dios mío, was she a pain in the neck!" she said.

"Oh, I know! She was the cruelest person I've ever met!" Enriqué's sister exclaimed exasperatedly.

It was evident that Enriqué's parents were relieved that their son was no longer dating someone like Maya. They had to know just how much she also affected me.

"Did Enriqué tell you about the problems I have with her?" I asked them.

Hector reached out and placed a sympathetic hand on my knee.

"He has... What she and those other kids do to you is terrible."

"Well, it's not as bad as it used to be. Felicia and Eva are two of the most caring girls I've ever met, and they look out for me."

"Ahh, my wonderful nieces! Both of them are especially protective of their friends and family. If it weren't for them, Enriqué would've never had any real friends at that school," Stella replied.

"Me neither," I laughed softly.

Not knowing what else to say, I took a sip of water and awkwardly shifted in my seat. Hoping to appear distracted, I shifted my gaze above Fátima's head and back to the portrait of baby Enriqué. He followed my gaze and smiled.

"You were such a cute baby... And you're still as cute as you were back then."

"What about you? I'm sure that you were as cute as a button like you are now," he guessed while tilting my chin up.

I knew that he wanted to kiss me once his eyes fell to my lips. His mother knew also.

"Well," she sighed, pushing to her feet before gesturing to Hector and Fátima.

"That's our cue. It was nice meeting you, Raquél. You should come over more often."

I quickly stood up to share departing hugs from Enriqué's family before he collected our coats. Once we were left alone, I let out a large, happy sigh and slipped the coat on.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought I was going to be. I was nervous for nothing," I said.

"What did I tell you? They were hooked the moment they saw you."

"Thank you so much, Enriqué. If you didn't encourage me to meet them I would've never went ahead with meeting your family... But now that I've met them I feel like they've accepted me as one of their own."

I giggled as Enriqué zipped my coat before dropping a peck on the tip of my nose.

"Plus, you're the cutest little girl they've ever met," he chuckled softly.

"Do you think it helped?" I asked.

"Aside from your intelligence and maturity, it helped a lot."

Playfully, I rolled my eyes and took his hand.

"Just take me home."

**If anyone is interested I have pictures of Enriqué's family in my profile!** **:)**


	20. Perfect Match

**Sorry for the long wait. I've been swamped with computer work for school, but I'm already working on Chapter 21 as we speak. I would like to personally thank my top 4 reviewers, ****pumpkinking5****, ****RandommMee****, ****xzanessaforeverxG****, and ****yogaluva**** for their support because without them this story wouldn't have come so far as it did, so I'm very grateful for the feedback. I can't believe it's been a year since I posted this story! Thank you guys and as always, enjoy! :) **

**Chapter 20: Perfect Match**

**Enriqué**

Once I returned after dropping Raquél home, my parents had already turned in for the night while Fátima was preparing to spend the weekend over. Since she'd begun attending New York University, we had not gotten any time to spend together. She grinned at me as I stepped into her room to help her unpack.

"Pretty impressive, _hermanito_. I've gotta give you props for landing such a beautiful girl. She's so sweet and timid. And, oh my God, she's so tiny! It's almost like you can pick her up and carry her!" she exclaimed laughing.

"Actually, I can. When we had our date to the movies last week, Maya and her friends confronted Raquél in the bathroom and she came running outside for me. Anyway, they were still trying to hurt her even when I was blocking them, and she just broke down. There was no way that she could recover, so I figured that if I held her in my arms, I could easily comfort her while keeping her away from Maya. Those girls nearly ruined our night!"

"Oh-no, really? I'm sorry about that. That girl just doesn't know when to quit sometimes," my sister sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I love holding her. Whenever she's in my arms, she's safe. Nothing can hurt her and I can just take her away from whatever danger is lurking. I want to make sure she's okay and reassure her that I'll always be there to protect her... She _is_ extremely petite for her age, and it scares me to think what someone could do to her when I'm not there; especially Maya and Carlos. Well, you know what? They're not going to hurt her. No one will, because I will personally kill whoever was responsible," I firmly vowed to myself.

"That's fine by me, but just be careful that you aren't being overprotective to the point that you become a threat," my sister warned lightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Monitoring wherever she goes, calling her every minute you're not together; threatening or beating up any guy who looks at her the wrong way. You know, being obsessive. Now, I'm not being morbid in any way, but you can't stop every bad thing that's going to happen to her unless you can predict the future. But you can't, honey. That's just life."

As much as I thought that I was doing the right thing by making sure that Raquél was under my surveillance every moment of the day, I knew that listening to Fátima's advice was the most sensible to follow. I couldn't shadow her like a bodyguard or strap safety gear onto her like a nervous parent.

Although I would never break her heart, it could be fixed without my help because there was no obstacle she couldn't overcome; no hurdle she couldn't leap. Raquél could take care of herself. She just needed someone to look out for her, ready to jump into action when her guard was down.

That was my job.

**~RMCR~**

**Monday**

That morning as I drove to school, an indescribable sense of dread came over me. I didn't where the feeling had come from or why I was feeling so anxious.

But the answer did not hit me until a senior from the basketball team brushed past me muttering, "Get some ass."

The phrase was numerously thrown at me in the same discreet manner, and I was shocked to receive the same message from the kids who used to fear me but never respected me. The ridicule was extremely frustrating because they still had no respect for me.

Panic did not set in until Raquél came storming into my English class followed by Mike and Sean. What if they told her that I was a virgin? Worst of all, what if she _didn't_ believe them?

Perhaps having just escaped a confrontation, she huffed and slammed her books onto her desk and plopped onto the chair. As she turned around to me I found a silent plea in her eyes.

"Hey, Sean! Mike! What did I tell you guys about harassing her? She just got here and you're already ruining her day," I came to her defense, letting my palm massage the small of her back.

"So, are we supposed to be afraid of you? No one here is afraid of you," Sean chuckled sardonically.

"I know I'm not… Let's make a deal, huh? Why don't you get some ass and then get back to me? Maybe _then_ I'll have some respect for you," Mike sneered.

Finally my short fuse had run out, and I shot out of my chair and pinned Mike against the book shelf, which caused a few books to tumble onto the floor.

"Go ahead and push me again. You'll see what happens!" I threatened while raising my fist.

A few students stood up and watched in anticipation of a fight. I was so tempted to take my anger out on Mike for harassing my girlfriend, for having no respect for me; for telling the entire student body my secret. This was just another one of my empty threats, but Raquél did not know that.

Her touch seemed to calm my nerves as I felt her small palms wrap around my forearm.

"Don't do it, Enriqué. He's not worth it. Please… don't do this. I don't want you to get hurt," she pleaded softly, seemingly on the verge of tears.

Reluctantly, I dropped my fist and released me grip on Mike. Seeing the fear and emotion in her eyes immediately struck me with guilt. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Raquél. Sorry you had to see that," I whispered into her ear.

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong," she told me, managing a faint smile.

Just then, Maya and her friends strolled in, followed by Mrs. Brown. Upon spotting her main tormentor, Raquél quickly released her grip around my torso and shuffled back to her seat, avoiding Maya's dark glare.

After taking attendance for the period, Mrs. Brown stepped towards the front of the class and announced her plans to assign a project for Valentine's Day next month. The entire class burst into disapproving groans as she explained that we were going to learn about poems and that we had to find a love poem for Valentine's Day and read it aloud.

My heart leapt at the concept of this sudden project. This was my chance to tell Raquél how I really felt about her. The due date was set for a month in advance, and I was positive that by then she would fall in love with me just as I had with her.

Or, at least I hoped.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

There was no doubt that the Superiors were turning their ridicule onto my boyfriend. My only ponder was the phrase that almost everyone kept muttering to him during the day. What was it supposed to mean?

While I snuck away into the bathroom to text Eva about it, I had locked myself in long enough to overhear a conversation that immediately sparked my curiosity.

"... I still can't believe what they're saying about him. And all this time and I thought that he was like the rest of them," one girl interjected in disbelief.

"I know, right? You shouldn't always believe gossip but for some reason, I feel that they're right. Don't get me wrong… it's cruel what they're doing but I know for a fact that it's true."

"I think it's kind of sweet that he's waiting, though. He won't give it up until he has his perfect match."

"Oh, I think he's found her already," the second girl hinted with a giggle.

The girls did not exchange any further until I heard water streaming into the pair of porcelain sinks, followed by the loud rustle of paper towels. Their voices began to fade as the front door swung shut with a hiss. As much as I did not want to admit who they'd been talking about, I could not deny that they were referring to Enriqué. Although I was not a believer of gossip, I knew that it was the truth. It was an overwhelming relief to discover that my boyfriend was a virgin, but knowing that I was not caused me immense frustration. I had already foolishly given up my innocence to a boy who didn't care about me, much less loved me.

Enriqué loved me, and now I was starting to have the strongest and most indescribable feelings I had ever experienced. What if he had wanted to take my virginity for himself? If I had waited longer we could have shared our first time as a couple when the time was right; but because of my lapse in judgment, my naïve mistake could not be reversed.

Reluctantly, I accepted the fact that I could not alter the very fabric of time and start all over, and miserably plodded back to class. I was not going to tell Enriqué what I heard even though he must've suspected that I'd been informed at some point during the day. Unfortunately, I feared that when we were both ready to take our relationship a step further, the moment would not feel as special as we both hoped.

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Afternoon**

The discovery of my brother's intelligence was nothing short of a surprise to me. It shouldn't have surprised me because my siblings and I all inherited our advanced intellect from our mother. For a baby who was only one and a half years old, he had an extensive vocabulary and had a great sense of cognizance.

While spending the afternoon at Felicia's house, we gathered around André and began to test him.

"Okay, watch this. He already knows the difference between English and Spanish," I told them.

Eva furrowed her eyebrows at me in skepticism and said, "You're lying."

"Nope, just watch... Sweetie, can you say _'pájaro'?_ Say _pájaro_."

"Pahado!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

_"¿En Inglés?"_ I challenged.

"Burhh."

"Aww, bird. Good job, honey!" Felicia praised while clapping her hands. "Say another word."

"Okay, let me think. André, do you remember how to say_ 'mar'_ in English?" I coached my brother.

After shifting his glance from my lips, he grinned adorably and rest his head in the crook of my neck.

"Osheh," he murmured shyly.

For the second time, we all burst into admiring cheers and rewarded him with kisses.

"That's right! Ocean!"

"I wonder if he can draw... Last Wednesday I was watching a documentary about kids with high I.Q.s, and there was this 3 year old girl who drew this amazing portrait of her sister. The lines weren't very smooth, but her attention to detail was flawless. I mean, you had to see it to believe that it was real," Eva recalled, evidently still in disbelief.

"That reminds me of Jazmyn. A few weeks ago she drew a picture of the vase on our corner table. And it just wasn't a flat vase. She added low-lights to make it look round. By the time she was finished it looked almost professional!"

"After watching that show, I can believe that. Why don't we see if your brother can draw?" she asked.

"All right... _¿André, puedes dibujar el mar?_ The ocean?"

While nodding a reply, Felicia and Eva watched in awe as the baby took the blue crayon from my hands and adjusted a correct grip on it. He began to create wobbly, yet wavy lines across the sheet of paper. Amazingly, he reached for the box and pulled out one more crayon, a darker shade of blue to add his version of definition.

"Oh, look! He's doing the same thing Jazmyn did!" I gasped, also amazed at my brother's premature artistic ability.

_"__¿_Y los peces?" he asked me.

_"¡Sí!_ You can add fish if you'd like," I couldn't help but giggle.

We then burst into amused laughter as he gave me a thumbs-up with his free hand before resuming his work.

"This is so cute. It looks like a five year old is drawing it, but for a baby that's amazing! Wait 'til Quique sees—"

**SLAM!**

We flinched as Enriqué suddenly came storming into the house after bursting through the front door. He was still wearing his clothes from earlier that day, which meant that he never went to football practice. It was the angriest I had ever seen him.

Hoping to investigate, I followed him into the kitchen where I found him rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Hey, Enriqué... What's wrong?" I asked gently, running my palm along his lower back.

"I skipped practice because those assholes have been getting on my nerves all day and it's annoying the hell out of me!" he exclaimed.

I jumped as he turned and pounded his fist against a cabinet. He noticed my anxiety, and sighed regretfully.

"I'm sorry, Raquél. I'm just so frustrated with today—and I've never lost my temper like this before."

"No, it's okay to be angry. Just talk to me, okay? I'm sure you'll feel better."

I offered a supportive hand for him to hold as we strolled back into the living room to his cousins and my brother. Eager to have me in his arms, he pulled me close and locked a gentle embrace around me.

"Why can't we all go to school without having to deal with such idiots? Those kids will believe anything they hear," he murmured angrily.

"I know what you mean... They just assume that what they hear is true without asking questions. And the gossip is always something that no one outside of high school cares about."

Sighing, Enriqué raked his fingers through my curls and massaged my scalp. I shuddered in contentment beneath the tickle of his fingertips.

"You're right. Who cares if I'm a virgin? When a supposed 'nobody' hasn't had sex yet no one cares, but when someone like me who can't get rid of his reputation, they blow it out of proportion. I mean, being an athlete is more than sleeping with every popular girl in school. And I am not like them. It's ridiculous!"

"God, I know, right? What's the big deal if you want to wait until you're ready? Even when you're not a virgin, they make fun of you either way," I said just as the room fell silent, which caused the air to thicken with awkward tension.

Suddenly, I felt out of place in that house, knowing that I was the only person between the four of us who foolishly lost her virginity when the time wasn't right. I still hated myself for not waiting for the right man.

"What was I thinking? I'm so stupid!" I breathed to myself, burying my head between my palms. "My mom told me to wait for someone special."

The tears were difficult to ignore, especially because I knew that I would regret my selfish decision. Aware of my evident frustration, Enriqué pulled me onto his lap and wiped by tears.

"No, you're not stupid. We all do things we later regret doing; it doesn't make you a bad person," he encouraged me.

"I know but... if I could go back and change it, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I lost my virginity to that jerk, and for what? Nothing! Nothing but low self-esteem and a broken heart."

"Oh, don't cry, Sweetheart. I'm not mad at you if that's what you think... But maybe it happened for a reason. You learned what not to look for in a guy and it made you become more aware of your safety, is that right?"

"Yes," I murmured after wiping away lingering tears.

"So, don't be upset—smile! Your smile always makes me feel better," Enriqué said, hoping to cheer me up.

Relieved, I was glad that Enriqué understood my reason for being so upset with myself. He didn't deserve to become a victim like me.

"From now on if they ever do or say something to get you angry, please ignore them. Don't let it affect you. They're worthless, so don't bother listening to them," I told him, which made me realize that I needed to take my own advice.

"You know what? Let's not make this day ruin the rest of our afternoon and put this all behind us," Felicia declared.

"Anyway, what should we do on the weekend? My parents are gonna be leaving for a wedding on Thursday and it's just going to be me. Licia's going to be staying with me... Would you like to spend the weekend with us, Raquél?" Eva asked me.

I froze. This was going to be my first sleepover in nearly six years and I had no idea how to react. What would we do to keep ourselves occupied besides the clichéd tradition of giving each other manicures, watching horror movies and gossiping? Felicia and Eva were my best friends, so I knew I had nothing to worry about.

"Sure, I'd love to. But, just so you know... this is only going to be my second sleepover ever. I had my first when I was eight; when I had my first friend," I admitted with a shy grin.

"There's nothing wrong with that, hon.' We can still have fun even if you don't have much experience—I promise, you'll love it!"

"Then I'm definitely going to be there," I giggled, and pulled my beaming friends into a tight embrace.

Meanwhile, I wondered if it was the right time to introduce Enriqué to my family since I was introduced to his.

Sure, he'd met my mother, but I wanted him to meet the rest of my siblings, Troy, and my other relatives to let them know that he had good intentions, despite our age differences. I wanted them to see what an affectionate man he was and how much he loved me.

Tomorrow at my cousin's birthday, I planned to do exactly that.

**~RMCR~**

"So, this guy isn't your father, but he wants to meet me, and your real father doesn't want to meet me?" Enriqué questioned in confusion as I led him up the stairs to my aunt's apartment.

"It's a long story... He didn't like that I was dating someone over 18, so you're like an enemy to him, just like Troy is," I explained casually.

"What's your mom's boyfriend like?"

I paused on the staircase only to find his features descending with worry.

"Don't be nervous. Troy doesn't bite... Unless you ever hurt me, but you won't ever do that, will you?" I said, playfully running my palm across Enriqué's tensed chest.

Before I could continue upwards, he pulled me back and captured my lips in a gentle kiss.

"Never..."

The corridor was trembling with the heavy bass of music as we began to approach the apartment. Standing outside of the door was a few of my distant cousins, including Nayna; and they eagerly greeted me with tight hugs and single kisses to the cheek.

They gazed at me disbelief once I introduced Enriqué as my boyfriend, shocked that their "antisocial" cousin was in a relationship.

My oldest cousin Emilio, who was a year younger than Enriqué, watched him in slight skepticism as he asked, "You're not in high school, are you? You look much older."

_"Estoy en colegio. Pero tengo diecinueve años,"_ he replied.

Collective gasps rang out at the announcement of his age. Before they could assume that my boyfriend was academically challenged, I quickly cleared the air.

"No, it's not what you think. When he moved here from Cuba and tried to start his Senior year, there was a mix-up... Basically he didn't have enough credits, so he had to start over all four years," I explained.

"Damn, that sucks. If I had to repeat high school, I'd just drop out and go for my GPA instead."

"Well, at first I was going to do that, but now I'm trying to get into college on a football scholarship... I'm so glad I did it again," Enriqué said while gazing affectionately at me.

I returned an equally coy grin as I felt his grip tighten around my palm.

"Look at them, it's like a love bug bit them," Emilio chuckled jokingly; although, I believed that he saw the strong connection we shared.

All but cousin Nayna was happy for me. I found tears pooling in her eyes, but in an attempt to hide them, she quickly turned away and told us that she had to make a phone call. What had I done to make her so upset? As I contemplated following to talk to her, my mother found us and called Enriqué and I into the house.

"Enriqué, you made it! Come on,_ miel_, I want you to meet some people," she said.

After guiding us through the thick crowd of relatives, I found my aunt and uncle, along with Troy and my grandparents, chatting in the corner.

"Why don't you introduce him yourself?" my mother suggested in a whisper.

I quickly gave out hugs and kisses to the adults, then pulled Enriqué beside me.

"Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Enriqué Sanchez," I introduced timidly, uncertain if they would accept him.

In their faces were mixed emotions, but I could not read any expression. Hoping to make a good impression, he pleasantly greeted them with a friendly smile and a handshake.

"Good afternoon. It's very nice to meet all of you."

The three men simultaneously folded their arms together, making it evident that they were ready to protect me if Enriqué were to ever hurt me.

"How old are you, Enriqué?" Uncle Oscar asked skeptically.

"I'm 19, sir."

Eyebrows immediately began to rise, which was hardly a good sign.

"May I ask why you are still in high school?" my Grandfather then interjected.

As my mother proceeded to explain, I nervously glanced up at my boyfriend, who looked as if he was going to crumble under the pressure. Troy did not seem as threatening as my grandfather or my uncle, but he still showed concern for my safety. After all, Enriqué was only eleven years younger than Troy.

"How did you and Raquél meet?"

"Um, she tutors me in the afternoons. Now I'm getting straight A's because she's so smart," Enriqué chuckled lightly, sending me a short grin.

"Oh, stop interrogating the boy. There's nothing to be suspicious about. It's clear that he really cares about Raquél," my grandmother came to his rescue.

"Raquél, go on and say 'hi' to the birthday girl."

"Okay, _Tita."_

Enriqué and I silently agreed that it was best not to kiss in front of the adults as I separated myself from him.

Meanwhile, I had to find out what was wrong with Nayna.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

Meeting Raquél's immediate family was not as nerve-wracking as I'd expected, but I still was not prepared to face her male parents. I could not blame them for questioning my background. She was just a young girl, and it was understandable that they were concerned for her safety.

Once Raquél and her mother ventured off to find the guest of honor, her grandmother Soledád eagerly pulled a chair for me to sit.

"Come. Talk to us. Tell is about yourself," she said.

"Sure, _Señora."_

"When did you and your family move here from Cuba? I'm sure it must have been hard to get immigration."

"It was_ very_ hard. We first moved to Miami when I was 16, and then we moved again to New York after I made 17. That was when I had to repeat high school," I explained.

"I don't mean to be intrusive, sweetie, but what is it you like about Raquél that doesn't make your ages an issue?" her aunt asked.

I sat back in the chair and thought about the qualities I loved about my girlfriend. There was just simply not enough time in the day for me to list every perfect detail about her.

"Everything... Before we really met, we used to pass each other in the hallways at school. And the first thing I noticed was her green eyes. I've never seen anyone else with eyes like hers, besides her mom. Also, she's the most intelligent person I've ever known. Did you know she has an I.Q. of 162? She can speak full Italian, paint realistic portraits, _and_ she's the highest ranked student in the entire school. It's _incredible _how her mind works. I used to get D's and F's, but when she started tutoring me my grades have improved %100. Another thing that makes Raquél stand out from other girls is that she's dignified and she's reasonable. She's compassionate even though people sometimes treat her differently. And she's so beautiful and gorgeous... Every time I see her my heart just races. I don't know, I guess age doesn't really matter to me. I'm not saying that I'm into girls her age, but somehow I feel that she's the person I've been missing all my life. She has a beautiful heart, and she deserves to be taken care of."

The two women beside me breathed in awe at my heartfelt speech. I was surprised as well. I had never poured my heart out to a group of people I just met. The men did not express their relief openly, but their features rose with approval. Perhaps they understood how I was feeling since all were once young and in love. But Raquél was not just a girl I dated because of her beauty, and I wanted them to know that I planned to stay with her for as long as I could.

"Wow... You're so young yet you speak with so much passion. My niece usually stays away from boys because she's afraid of getting hurt, but you don't want what other boys your age want. That's very touching," her aunt praised.

"Well, I don't want to hurt her; I want to protect her. I think that if I ever hurt her, I'd leave just to prove that. She makes me happy, so I want to do the same."

Soledád leaned forward and grasped my palm between hers.

"Do you love my granddaughter, Enriqué?" she asked.

As I turned in the seat of my chair, I found Raquél happily chatting with her cousins. Seemingly on cue, she caught my eye and sent me a cute, short grin. I turned back, grinning to myself as heat began to creep up my face. There was no need to say how I felt about her. The adults already knew.

_"Ella es mi corazoncito_ (she is my sweetheart)," I said.

Soledád reached out her arms to me and pulled me into a gentle embrace.

"Oh, darling, that's wonderful. I hope you tell her how you really feel very soon."

"I plan to… only when she's ready."

"See? Now this is a boy who's willing to wait for love. He respects her restraint," the pregnant aunt replied admiringly.

Just then, a soft pair of arms wound around my torso, followed by a giggle.

"Hey," Raquél said as if she had not seen me all day.

"Hey, Sweetheart."

"Do you want something to eat? They're bringing out the food right now."

Her eyebrows furrowed skeptically once she noticed the adults smiling at her.

"Uh, what are—?"

"Actually, I am hungry. While we're at it, you can introduce me to more of your relatives," I said hastily, and guided Raquél away before she could figure out what was going on, but not before looking back and calling, "It was nice talking to all of you."

She laced her smaller fingers between mine as we stepped into the receiving line.

"They really like you. What exactly did you say to convince them that you're the best boyfriend ever?" she asked.

"Not much… I just told them how I really felt."

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

By the time cousin Luisa blew out her ten birthday candles later that afternoon, Nayna had finally returned from the corridor. Although she seemed unaffected on the outside, the hurt in her eyes was evident. Once she received a slice of cake, she quickly ducked between the crowd and made a quick beeline for the door.

I had to find out why she wasn't acting like her usual cheerful self.

"I'll be back, Quique. If my mom asks tell her I'll be outside," I told my boyfriend before pecking his cheek.

"All right, be careful."

I followed the sound of descending footsteps and rushed to catch Nayna before she disappeared. Around the corner of the building, I found her sitting on an old, wrought-iron bench beside the dumpster. She did not notice me at first, and was occupied on her cell phone, furiously punching at buttons.

"Nayna, what's up? You haven't spoken to anyone since the party started," I said, when I realized that she had been deleting pictures of her boyfriend José.

I quickly sat beside her and rubbed my hand across her back.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting rid of anything that has to do with that jerk, José. Ugh, I hate him so much!" she exclaimed in frustration.

"Well, what happened? Tell me, honey," I encouraged, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.

My devastated cousin suddenly burst into tears and collapsed against me. Obviously the break up between Nayna and her now, ex-boyfriend left her distraught. He had broken her heart, and watching my cousin cry over a bad relationship reminded me of my dark past in more ways than one.

"José is just like all the other boys at my school: Cocky, selfish; insensitive. Things were going so great between us during those six months, and then two days ago I found him having sex with this girl in the locker room at school. How could he do that to me? He gave me his class ring and his varsity jacket, and he told me that he loved me... I lost my virginity to him and now I feel like an idiot for believing in that shit he's been feeding me all this time," she wept.

"Oh,_ pobrecita,_ I'm so sorry. He never deserved you at all. You're smart, beautiful and outgoing, but he just couldn't see how valuable you really are. I know it hurts now, but it's just life's way of telling you that not all relationships—as perfect as they might seem—are going last. At this point, you have two choices: do you want him to see that he's defeated you, or do you want to show him what he wasted on some worthless girl?"

"There's no way he'll ever defeat me because I'm so much better than him. I mean, what does he have? Super popularity, money; his new fling? I don't need any of that. All I need is..."

"... A great, big family and a cousin who loves you with all her heart," I finished for Nayna while squeezing her in my arms.

She finally managed a giggle as I wiped her tears away, then hugged me even tighter.

"I love you, cuz."

"I love you, too. And just because you lost one guy it doesn't mean that the guys you date from now on will be like José. You'll find your perfect match soon. Just have faith," I told her.

"I know I will, Raquél. You're such a great friend."

"It's no problem."

Suddenly, Nayna's eyes glittered with excitement as she playfully nudged me in the ribs.

"Looks like you've already found your perfect—and might I add—19 year old match. You've got yourself a man," she laughed teasingly.

"I guess... He's so sweet and caring; he does everything he can to make sure I'm safe. And the best part is he's not eager to rush into things with me. He wants to wait until I'm ready. Before, rushing into a serious relationship caused me to get hurt, but then I realized that waiting for the right guy was going to be worth it. Turns out that being patient was worth the wait. Nayna, I don't think I've ever been this happy in my life. I've never felt this way about someone and now, I think I'm falling in—"

_"¡Chiquita!_ _¿Dónde estás,_ baby? The kids are hitting the piñata!" I heard my mother call, her voice echoing down the street.

My cousin and I quickly hopped off of the bench and wandered out of the alley.

_"Estamos aquí, Mami._ We were just talking."

"All right, you two. Hurry before your sisters take all the candy," she chuckled softly, and treated us each with a kiss to the forehead.

She stopped Nayna in the doorway and lifted her chin.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I feel much better," she replied.

"That's great."

As the sound of screaming cheers burst down the stairway, we rushed back up to the second floor to join the excitement. Cousin Luisa was swinging blindly and wildly at a Hannah Montana piñata while the entire party cheered her on.

I sat beside Enriqué and wrapped my arms around him, happy that he was there to spend time with me and my family. Following the chaos that ensued once the birthday girl burst open the piñata, my sisters and cousins of all ages dropped to their knees to grab as much candy as the could from the pile.

My heart sped up as Enriqué swept my curls aside and leaned close to my ear.

"Your grandfather told me that I fit in well with this family... What do you think?" he whispered.

Silently, I gave him a short peck on the lips and smiled.

"I think he's right."

Now positive about our future than ever before, my boyfriend and I eagerly joined the fray and collected our own handfuls of candy. We had only been dating for almost a month, yet I was more than ready to take our relationship further.

For the first time in my life, I was in love.

**I**_** SOOO**_** can't wait to post chapter 21 cause you'll be in for a whirlwind of emotion. Hope you're ready… Thank you for reading and review! :) **


	21. Moment of Truth

**I know it was a long wait but I spent so much time preparing this chapter between schoolwork to make sure that it met my standards, and hopefully it will meet yours also. I think by the end of this chapter you'll be over the moon. Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 21: Moment of Truth**

**Raquél **

I anxiously clutched my overnight bag against my chest as my mother and I approached Eva's front door. For most of that afternoon I questioned why I was so nervous about sleeping over at my best friend's house, and so did my mother. She stopped me before my finger could connect with the doorbell.

"Before you go inside, just wait a minute… Eva and Felicia are your friends. You should be excited about this sleepover, baby! You're going to love staying up late and playing crazy games; and by now you should be used to it. Whenever Nayna and auntie come to visit, you girls sleep in the same bed with no problem," she compared.

"I know, Mami, but it's not really the same. She's my cousin, and she only slept over twice when she came to visit. This is different."

"In what way, Raquél? Just because you're not related to them, it doesn't mean that they're not going to be uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as you or anything like that."

"But I _am_ excited, Mami. And it's not because of that, it's because—"

Just then, the door swung open and a pair of arms hooked around my shoulders. Eva squealed in excitement as she pulled me into the foyer.

"You made it! This is going to be a great night!"

"Just in case it wasn't obvious enough," Felicia laughed while placing a kiss against my cheek.

"Hi Ms. Montez! My parents are getting ready to leave now. They're in the living room if you'd like to meet them. You should come and meet them too, Raquél," she said keenly.

Our third guest made his appearance as he came skidding around the corner, his paws clicking against the floor. I eagerly opened my arms to the white Maltese, letting him jump onto my lap.

"Oh, my precious Papi! You're so sweet," I cooed as he licked my face.

A woman with straight black hair soon emerged pulling a suitcase behind her, and smiled warmly at us. Eva had the same bright features and the same cheerful grin as her mother.

"Hello, you must be Raquél. It's great to meet you. I'm Gracie," she said to me before giving me a gentle hug.

"And this is her mother... Aunty Gabi!" Eva giggled.

"Good evening, Gracie. I'm Gabriella, and I just wanted to say that your daughter and Felicia are two of the most wonderful girls I've ever met," my mother commented as they exchanged a peck on each cheek.

"Well, thank you. Eva's also told me a lot about Raquél. I think that she was such a godsend for my daughter. They both were."

My anxiety had completely dissipated once my best friends surrounded me in a tight embrace. "And that's why we love her," Felicia beamed.

Moments later Eva's father, who was also enthusiastic in character, introduced himself before reminding his wife, "Graciela, check-in time is in an hour. We'd better get going."

"I think it's also time for me to head out. I've got a date tonight," my mother replied.

After giving out kisses and individual "I love you's", the adults quickly filed out the front door.

_Here goes nothing,_ I said to myself as the girls led me upstairs.

"So, as soon as you get settled we can order pizza or Chinese—anything you want, and then we can watch a movie or play a game. Sounds good, hon'?"

"Okay," I replied, growing anxious because I was soon expected to change my clothes in front of them.

_Stop thinking that way! They're not going to judge you,_ my mind kept reminding me.

Eva quickly rest my bag on the edge of the bed and pulled out my Hello Kitty pajama set **(in profile)**.

"Ohh, these are cute. Where'd you get them?" she asked.

"My _Abuelita_ bought it for me, like, two years ago plus a makeup chest. I haven't even opened that one yet."

"Oh my God, my grandma would have a heart attack if I even wore something like that around her. She hates when I show off my legs," Felicia said.

They didn't seem to notice that I was in my underwear as we burst into giggles. I quickly slipped into the pajamas and put my clothes away.

"Not even jean shorts?"

"Well, I can wear shorts around her but then she'd keep tugging them lower saying, _'¡Hombres están mirando a ti!_ They're looking at your legs!'" she imitated her grandmother, and emphasized her point by tugging at Eva's pant leg.

"My grandfather's the same way with my dimples. If he sees them he literally tries to tuck my shirt into my pants to hide them. He doesn't have to worry, though. I hate them," I mumbled while putting my coat away.

"I can tell... I'd hate them too if boys were getting 'reactions' just by seeing them. We can exclude Quique in this case because he's not a creep; he's in love."

"Speaking of Enriqué, how are things going with our cousin?" Eva questioned teasingly.

"Great. He met the rest of my family at my cousin's party last weekend, and they really like him."

"What about your feelings? I'm sure by now _you_ must be falling in love."

"Well..." I sighed, lying across the bed. "I've never been this happy in my life. When I'm him I feel so safe, and I know it's because he'll never hurt me... I think I'm in love. But I'm just still not ready to tell him."

"You think you're in love?" Felicia countered skeptically.

"No... I am in love. And I'm just scared to death because I've never said 'I love you' to anyone outside my family. Well, except for Troy. He's not related to me but I love him as a father figure," I replied.

The girls exchanged worried glances before nodding to each other in deliberation.

"It's easy to fall in love when a new family member comes along or a best friend, but that's because there are different ways to fall in love. Like you said, you fell in love with Troy but obviously not in a romantic way. You love him like you would a father, right?"

"Right. And I love you and Eva because you're like my sisters," I said with ease.

"Aww! We love you too, honey. But I don't think I heard you correctly... What did you say?"

I knew that Felicia was trying to get me used to the idea of expressing my true feelings, and I was prepared to conquer any trick she planned to carry out.

"I love you, Felicia. I love you, Eva," I couldn't help but giggle.

There was no anxiety or pressure I felt telling my friends how much I cared about them, yet the thought of saying the same to Enriqué caused my heart to race with panic.

"Why do you love us?" Eva then challenged.

"Because—"

"Uh-uh! We need a full explanation."

"Well, you're so easy to talk to. I don't feel like I'm being judged or betrayed, and my insecurities completely disappear. It usually takes me a long time to trust someone, but even though I've known you for a few weeks it's like I've known you forever. You make me happy. That's why I love you."

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Felicia gave my upper arm a gentle pat.

"If you tell Enriqué exactly what you said to us, you'll have nothing else to say. He'll know that you mean it with all your heart."

We fell silent as a faint knock from downstairs echoed throughout the house. Our bodies frozen with angst, we listened to the click of a lock that followed, which hardly alleviated our fears. We found it strange that not even the dog barked.

"Is that Auntie?" Felicia asked with a slight whisper.

"No… She would've called to let us know if they were coming back. Who else would have a key to my house?" Eva fathomed shrugging.

Eva and I watched in amusement as Felicia approached the top of the stairs and placed her hands on her hips.

"You know, the next time you scare us like that I'm gonna call the police on you," she said.

"Just let me see my girlfriend," I heard the voice carry through the hallway.

I smiled. My boyfriend had come to see me.

Without realizing that I was clad in nothing but a pair of childish pajamas, I eagerly dashed downstairs and into Enriqué's arms. My friends looked on in admiration as he lifted me off the floor and spun me around. He then treated me with a peck to the lips.

"How are you, Sweetheart? I missed you."

"I missed you, too, but what are you doing here? I thought you had a game," I replied.

"I..."

Suddenly, he turned his attention toward the staircase and sent his cousins a plain stare. They knew exactly what he meant. Slowly, they began to back up the stairs. Enriqué removed his coat before leading me into the living room, where we cuddled on the couch.

"The game was canceled because someone from the away team got food poisoning. So they had to forfeit. Personally, I'm glad we don't have to play tonight. I wanted see you before I leave for Rochester tomorrow," he explained.

"Another game?"

"Yep. I'm going to be gone for the entire weekend, which means that I have only..." He paused to observe the clock on the wall. "... Fifteen minutes to spend with you. And all I want to do is talk my beautiful girl."

"Okay, then. What about?"

His brown eyes gleamed with affection as he grinned, "Anything."

"So, um, Valentine's Day is coming up," I awkwardly brought up.

"Yeah, I'd like to take you out somewhere but it has to be a surprise. I want you to remember this Valentine's Day," Enriqué said, and pressed his lips against my forehead.

I rest my head against his chest and sighed.

"I'm glad you want to do that for me... I've always felt lonely on Valentine's Day. I grew up hating it because it seemed like everyone had a Valentine but me. But this year I have you, and maybe for once I'll feel like someone cares."

"Well, you know what? I'm not going to feel lonely either," he whispered in my ear. "You're going to receive the biggest surprise of your life this Valentine's Day."

Within seconds, Enriqué and I became caught up in a long, passionate kissing session. Our hands caressed while our tongues playfully wrestled, and during those plodding seconds I felt the love I had for him growing stronger. No longer did I "think" that I was in love; I _knew_ that I was in love with Enriqué.

Finally out of breath, we slowly let our lips separate and coyly observed each other's melted gazes. Reluctantly, Enriqué announced that he had to return home to pack for the weekend.

"I'm going to miss you," I replied with the greatest pang of dismay.

My boyfriend left me blushing furiously at the bottom of the stairs after giving me a passionate departing kiss.

"Good night, baby girl," he said huskily, and winked at me.

I bit my bottom lip to prevent a flurry of giggles from escaping.

"Night."

"By the way..." he trailed off as he opened the front door. "Cute pajamas."

That was when I glanced down and found the iconic kitten stretching down my abdomen. Unable to contain my mirth, I ran up the stairs squealing with laughter.

From then on I was confident that when the moment of truth arrived, I would be ready to handle the unexpected.

**Valentine's Day**

**Raquél **

That morning as I strolled into the school, I anticipated the moment when my boyfriend would show up with a single rose, chocolates or a teddy bear. But I was far from prepared to receive my first surprise of that eventful day. Although Valentine's Day wasn't officially until Saturday, the school still eagerly promoted the holiday in advance.

There was no gym class that day, and I wasn't going to be with Enriqué until later that day.

As I sat in homeroom finishing my Trigonometry homework, students around me broke out in astonished gasps once a volunteer pushed a cart carrying a Valentine's Day Sweetheart Package into the room. The package included one dozen freshly cut red roses and one dozen cream roses; a five foot tall white teddy bear; a large heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates with a basket full of candy; and five balloons with the words "Be Mine" printed across them.

It was an event that went on in my school that determined whose boyfriend cared for them the most on Valentine's Day. Also, it was quite expensive.

Weeks ago, Maya kept bragging that she had received the Sweetheart package for two years in a row. It was clear that as a junior, she expected to receive the same gift that year. But the cart that I spotted being pushed into her homeroom had a few cards, roses and small teddy bears.

"I have a special delivery for someone!"

Lynn, who was also in my homeroom, stood up to receive her assumed prize. Sadly, she was still unaware that she was being betrayed by Mike and Maya.

"I guess this one's for me… Make way, losers," she responded cockily while strolling to the front of the room.

The girl glanced down at the card on the package and frowned.

"Actually, this isn't for you. This one is yours."

Lynn exclaimed in outrage as she was handed a single bag of candy.

"What the hell? Then who does that belong to?"

Seemingly fighting the urge to laugh, the girl replied, "It's for Raquél."

My jaw dropped, letting a stunned gasp escape.

"Wh-what?"

"It's for you, from Enriqué."

_"Ugh, her?_ Why the fuck would he do that for her?" Lynn muttered as she stomped back to her seat.

"Me?" I said, unsure if my ears had deceived me.

"Yeah, this is for you. Come and read the card," the girl chuckled slightly.

Numb with disbelief, I stood up from my seat and took the card from her hands to read the message.

"_Por mi __cariño__…_

_Es__la magia __cada vez __que tenemos __unos de otros, __cada vez que nos __abrace__, __y cada __vez que nos besamos__. __Siento __la piel de gallina__de nuevo. __No quiero __dejarte ir __por miedo a perder __que__, __por lo que sólo __espera un __poco __más estrecha __cada día__, negándose a __dejar ir__. __Usted nunca lo sabrá __el calor __que siento __dentro de mí __cuando estoy con ti__. __Eres todo lo que __siempre quiso tener. __Tú eres mi __corazón, mi alma__, __mi tesoro, mi __hoy, mi __mañana__, mi todo, mi __siempre (For my Sweetheart… It's magic each time we hold each other, each time we cuddle, and each time we kiss. I feel goosebumps all over again. I never want to let you go for fear of losing you, so I just hold on a little bit tighter each day, refusing to let go. You will never know the warmth I feel inside me when I'm with you. You're all I ever wanted. You are my heart, my soul, my treasure, my today, my tomorrow, my everything, my forever)."_

This package wasn't something for Enriqué to show off to everyone at school, but to show me just how much he cared. Just then, my boyfriend appeared in the doorway and sent me a wave. Eagerly, I dropped the card and ran into his arms.

"You just think you're so smooth, don't you?" I giggled, wrapping my arms around him as he pressed a kiss to my lips. "Thank you for the gift."

"I'm glad you love it. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. By the end of the day, you'll be happier than you've ever been."

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Day**

That afternoon as Enriqué and I quickly filed into English class, my nerves returned to torment me because I knew that I had to read my poem in front of the class.

Before we took our own seats, he pressed his lips against my temple and whispered, "Good luck. You'll do great."

"Aw, thank you, Quique. Good luck to you, too."

Now equipped with the confidence boost I desperately needed, I sat and reviewed my poem as more students began to file into the room. Soon Mrs. Brown appeared, hastily clapping her hands together.

"Okay, class! Settle down; we don't have much time!" she called aloud.

Although I should have grown used to the threatening glares I received from the Superiors on a daily basis, intimidation continued to strike me as I found the hate in their eyes.

"What's the Do Now, Mrs. Brown?" a female student asked, which meant that she was too lazy to read the whiteboard.

"You shouldn't be asking me. It's right in front of you," my teacher replied while taking attendance. "Now kids, take out your Valentine poems and we'll go in alphabetical order."

A loud, disgruntled groan echoed throughout the room, namely Mike because he knew that he was going to be first.

"Mr. Acosta... Why don't you start us off? I'm sure you've memorized it enough since printing it out in the library this morning."

Her sarcastic reply incited a chorus of "ooh's" as Mike scooted towards the front of the room muttering, "Bitch."

As he began his poem with a slew of mispronounced words, I decided not to give myself a headache by mentally correcting every last mistake. Just two months before, Enriqué had been reading exactly like the Superiors and a few other students in that class, and I was proud to see the progress he'd made as a result of my tutoring.

The past few weeks had gone by so quickly, but I felt as though I'd spent an eternity with him. In such little time we had learned so much about each other: our fears, our hopes and dreams; our passions and hatreds. Now that I knew that Enriqué wanted me as more than a girlfriend, I wanted him as more than a boyfriend.

I was in love with him.

During the past 20 minutes, the period seemed to fly by in a blur until there were a few remaining students—including Enriqué and I—who needed to read their poems.

Maya was next, which meant that my turn was right around the corner.

Apparently, it still hadn't registered that Enriqué was in no way attracted to her, so we were not surprised to discover that the poem was not a romantic poem, but a poem about my boyfriend. While she recited the poorly fabricated lines, she occasionally glanced up to send a flirtatious grin to Enriqué, then shot me down with a menacing glare.

I supposed she'd created the poem just to humiliate me. But I was not at all concerned.

I had to hold back a giggle as he leaned close to my ear from behind and scoffed, "In your dreams, you psycho..."

Once the moving train wreck began to grind to a halt, Maya proudly turned in her poem to Mrs. Brown, who looked unimpressed.

"How did I do, Mrs. Brown? That's an A-plus, right?" she guessed confidently in that sickeningly sweet voice.

Perhaps she was a little too confident. Her drones then dutifully fed her ego by bursting into loud cheers and applause. But I knew as well as everyone else that Mrs. Brown had yet to deliver the bad news.

"Hmm, good effort. But it was supposed to be a Valentine's Day related poem, and not a poem _about_ someone... You get half-credit."

Maya's mouth dropped in outrage as she let out a squeaky gasp, punching her fists downward.

"B-but that's not fair—!"

"Ms. Ramiréz, if you want to make an argument out of this, then I suggest you throw your tantrum in the office," she stated firmly.

Maya hushed immediately before stomping back to her seat in a huff. Uncertain whether I was going to be next, I frantically scanned the lines of my poem that were difficult to remember and braced myself for the inevitable.

"Next up, Ms. Richmond—I mean Ms. Richards, pardon me," she quickly corrected herself, which left my heart racing with near panic.

Gina's poem was significantly longer than the other poems, and to me she was a savior. Unfortunately, nothing lasted forever. My stomach churned as the class politely applauded once she was finished.

"Thank you, Gina. That was lovely... You're next, Raquél. Come on up."

Reluctantly, I grabbed my poem sheet and made my way towards the front of the room, being careful not to trip in my state of anxiety. The disdainful snickers from my tormentors had begun to whip at my back before I even had the chance to start.

Looking to my boyfriend for comfort, he sent me a smile of reassurance to lend encouragement.

"It's okay; ignore them," he mouthed.

As my nerves seemed to consume my every thought, I forgot how to start.

"Say the name of the poem first, dear," Mrs. Brown coached gently.

"Um, the name of my poem is 'Always.'"

"Great. Now, go ahead," she said, nodding in approval.

_"The day you were born, the_

_whole world was blessed_

_These thoughts in my mind to you I must confess_

_The time has come for me to express my true feelings..."_

I paused, taking my time to take another glance at my boyfriend. He leaned forward in anticipation, eager to hear the rest of my poem. Little did he know that I'd picked the poem partially because of my strong feelings for him.

_"You are the center of my thoughts and the essence of my being_

_What you have brought me I never thought I could procure_

_The gift of comfort, with you I am secure_

_For you have lifted me up from a life filled with sorrow_

_And made me realize there is always a better tomorrow_

_It amazes me how someone can make me feel this way_

_I love you more and more with each passing day_

_You brighten my days and lift my spirits_

_I have felt this for so long and now I want you to hear it_

_So you may know the place you hold in my heart_

_You are always with me even when we're apart_

_I truly believe what we have is meant to be_

_Just open your heart and soon you shall see_

_What I am willing to do to keep a smile on your face_

_Just know that I'm here and will be always."_

With my poem finally over with, I grinned bashfully as Enriqué clapped loudly over the light applause of the class.

"That was beautiful, Raquél. Great job, well executed!" Mrs. Brown praised, also clapping.

"Thank you."

"All right... Looks like we've got time for one more poem for today, and it's yours, Mr. Sanchez. Why don't you wrap us up for the day?"

Proud of myself, I made my way back to my desk once Enriqué stood up.

"That was amazing, Sweetheart," he whispered as he scooted past me.

It was evident that he was nervous about reading his poem, but it was the most flustered I had ever seen him. The paper in his hands trembled as if he was having a seizure, and for a moment, I thought that he was going to pass out under the pressure.

Just like I had done while reading my poem, he locked gazes with me and managed an anxious smile.

"The name of my poem is called, um, 'I Love You,'" he began while looking at the teacher, then down at his poem.

Around me, I heard the class leaning forward in curiosity, somehow knowing that my boyfriend wasn't going to disappoint. By the look in his eyes, I could tell that something was going to change both of our lives.

_"Have you ever felt,_

_like you were holding a fragile heart,_

_That could break any second,_

_And then it shatters,_

_And you don't know how to fix it?_

_Then your world goes wild,_

_With everything spinning but you,_

_You stand still and stare at the moment,_

_Not knowing what to say,_

_Not even paying attention anymore._

_You want to say something to help the moment,_

_But tears are saying enough._

_I want to hold the pieces of your broken heart,_

_And put it back to one._

_I hold you close,_

_Hoping you can forgive me,_

_For hurting you so badly,_

_I tell you I love you,_

_And it's far from a lie._

_I cry on your chest,_

_Apologizing again and again_

_You finally pull me away and lift my face up towards yours,_

_I look into your eyes,_

_Wanting to turn away,_

_But I'm forced by love to keep looking._

_And you say the three words I longed to hear..._

_I love you._

_You wipe away the tears,_

_Leaning forward to place a kiss upon my lips,_

_And you pull me away,_

_Holding me close as you can,_

_You tell me once more at the same time I tell you..."_

He glanced up from his poem, and looked me right in the eyes as if the universe had disappeared from his sight but me.

"'... I love you.'"

I gasped softly to myself just as the class also broke into gasps of confusion.

All eyes were on me, but I did not glance down in shame or blush furiously. My eyes remained locked on Enriqué's, wide with shock as I searched the deepest reaches of his soul for evidence of the love he proclaimed to me. There he stood at the front of the room, exposed and vulnerable after revealing his most secreted emotions. Etched in his gentle features was the silent plea for me to accept his love. Then I found the wholehearted truth behind his stark, chestnut gaze.

Enriqué loved me.

Unfortunately, the weight of the world was coming down on my head, because I knew that he expected me to love him back. But I still wasn't ready to express my love for him after just two months of dating.

Reality struck without warning, and the entire room seemed to jump as the awful silence was pierced by the shrill blare of the dismissal bell. Still captivated by the series of events, no one moved or applauded. In her efforts to ease the tension, Mrs. Brown awkwardly cleared her throat before reaching out to collect Enriqué's poem.

"Great poem, Mr. Sanchez. Very convincing," she said. "Well, then, we'll continue this on Monday. Have a great weekend, class and spend Valentine's Day wisely tomorrow."

Hoping to get out of the room before the ground threatened to swallow me, I shot out of my chair and rushed into the corridor before darting through the thick crowd of students. Meanwhile, I heard my boyfriend calling my name above the deafening chatter. I didn't know what was going through my mind or why I was running away, but I knew that I had to get home before I suffered a complete meltdown.

Knowing that my only means of escape was right around the corner, I dodged Enriqué's searching gaze until he gave up and went back to the classroom. Felicia and Eva were eagerly chatting as I frantically approached them.

"Oh, there you are, Raquél! We were just discussing weekend plans and... Oh, no, what's wrong, honey?" Eva asked in concern.

"I've got to get home now. I'll explain later, but please get me out of here before he comes," I said hastily, while pulling them towards the closest exit.

"Who?"

Before I could manage another exhausted reply, the sound of Enriqué's distant calls sent me running through the doors in fright. Without a second thought my friends guided me into the parking lot and into Felicia's car.

"Who are you running from?" she repeated as she started the car, pulling out of the parking space.

"Enriqué. When he was reading his poem in English he told me that he loved me through it. But I'm so scared, I-I don't know what to do! How do I respond to something like that?"

"Tell him that you love him, also. You can never go wrong with that."

"I know, but... what if I'm not ready to love him yet? I feel so guilty because I feel like I've broken his heart by running away. It's just too much for me," I explained anxiously, raking my fingers through my curls in panic.

"You are doing no such thing. If Quique really loves you, he'll respect that you're not ready and wait," Eva said.

Within fifteen minutes we had arrived at my house, searching for any signs of Enriqué. By that time, I was on the verge of tears.

"His car's not here, but he probably left the car and chased after us," Felicia theorized. "Anyway, let's get you inside. It's cold out here."

My friends escorted me into the complex, up the stairs and towards my apartment. My hands trembled so badly, I kept missing the keyhole as I tried to unlock the front door. Once inside, I dropped my things and breathed a sigh of relief.

The world and everything in it seemed to be spinning but me, and I found myself pacing back and forth in the foyer.

"Are you okay, honey? Do you need anything?" asked a voice I could hardly make out above my racing heartbeat.

"N-no, just—I think... I need to be alone," I stammered.

"Okay, we'll leave you alone. But don't panic, Raquél; I'm sure that everything will work out fine."

Felicia and Eva wrapped their arms around me to offer support. But as I watched them disappear into the corridor, I found myself confronted by the man who loved me.

At that moment, the very sight of Enriqué sent me reeling back against the wall in fear. Unable to escape, I became overwhelmed and burst into tears.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

I was not angry at Raquél for running away after last period. In fact, I was angry at myself for confessing my love for her in front of the class, thinking that she would say it back.

She had been through so much in so little time. I should've remained patient and respected her desire to take things slowly.

Now, I feared that I'd put our relationship in jeopardy.

Just as I caught my cousins stepping into the corridor of her apartment, the pure terror in her eyes instantly wracked me with guilt. Her back slid against the wall and slowly carried her down to the floor. As she sobbed, curled up in the corner, she brought her hands over her face to shield her tears.

"I'm sorry, Enriqué... Don't be mad at me," she whimpered.

"Mad? How could I ever be mad at you?" I questioned gently as I lifted her chin.

She let her gaze fall to the floor, unable to look into my eyes.

"But, I-I didn't—I ran away from you after you said..."

"Shh, don't worry about it, Sweetheart. It's okay; I understand. You're not ready," I whispered reassuringly.

Her petite body continued to tremble violently as I lifted her onto my lap.

"Everything that poem said... You picked it. Why?"

"I picked it because it defined all the things you went through before we started dating, and I felt that the things at the end of the poem were like a vision of how we were going to end up. I never intended to scare you, but I can't keep these feelings in my heart contained anymore. Right now, you're everything to me and, I don't know, I guess I rushed things with you because of those feelings," I explained.

My efforts to soothe Raquél seemed to work to my advantage, and she stopped mentally laying down the bricks to keep me out.

"Well, I knew for a while that you were falling in love with me. But when you looked me dead in the eyes and said it, I was so scared. I didn't know how to respond, so I ran until I thought that I could make sense of the situation. I know how much you care about me and that you'll do anything to protect me... But I thought that I was going to get hurt again. Sometimes people come into my life and earn my trust, then just when I think that I'm not going to lose them, they end up leaving my life forever. You make me feel amazing, Enriqué. And I don't want to lose you either."

I felt her fingers tighten around the material of my shirt as she began to sob again, afraid to let me go.

"Oh, no. I'm never going to leave you, Raquél. All my life I've been searching for something meaningful; something that would make me truly happy and make my life worth living. And it's you, Sweetheart. Nothing can stop how you make me feel. I love you... I mean that with all my heart," I said firmly, brushing my thumb beneath her tearful eyes. "And you don't have to say it back if you're not ready."

"But I'm scared. There's all these strong, rushing feelings coming all at once, and I've never experienced anything like this before. W-what if this isn't all that amazing as we thought and we both end up getting hurt in the end? I don't want to set myself up for heartbreak," she hiccupped.

"And you won't, Sweetheart... I'm scared, too. I'm nineteen, you're fourteen—what do we know about love, anyway? Relationships don't come with instruction manuals so we might as well try our best."

Raquél finally glanced up at me, her dulled emeralds unveiling the joy that remained hidden since that afternoon.

"You know that I care about you, Enriqué. These past few weeks have been the best of my life, and nothing can stop the feelings I get when you hold me or kiss me, or tell me that I'm perfect. You make me feel happy in ways I can't even explain and I'll never regret trusting you," she told me.

Just as I'd arrived at my moment of truth earlier that day, it seemed as though her moment was fast approaching.

Finally, Raquél uttered the words I'd been longing to hear since the day I laid eyes on her.

"I love you, Enriqué… I really do," she whispered, her breaths shuddering.

"Y-you, what?" I gasped.

"At first I was scared to tell you how I really felt because I thought that I would get hurt. But you proved to me that you were like no one else in this world, and because of you I never would've been able to accept myself. I'm more than ready to follow my heart. I love you."

Everything I had ever worked for, everything I'd ever dreamed of, and the years I spent searching for happiness finally paid off. Nothing to define how peaceful I felt knowing that our relationship had reached its most significant milestone.

Without another word, I captured her lips in a deep, impassioned kiss. I kissed her with all the love I kept pent up in my soul from the very day I realized she was the treasure I'd been looking for. Overjoyed, I picked my girlfriend off the floor and spun her around, reveling in the sound of her laugh.

"This is the best day of my life," I chuckled.

"Mine too... So far, at least."

So far. That only meant that we had much more memories to make as a couple. As long as we loved each other, there was nothing that could break us down.

In that moment as I held her, I really did believe that love conquered all.

**I told you it would be emotional, and I have to say that this was one of my best chapters. If schoolwork doesn't swamp me too much I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Also this is random but if you wanna see Raquél's pajamas, they're in my profile. Hope you enjoyed and tell me what you thought about this chapter. Thanks! **


	22. No Worries

**So sorry for the wait but I've been so swamped with college stuff, but here it is. Thank you for putting up with me and I hope you enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 22: No Worries**

**Enriqué**

_The taunting chase continues between the Nymph and I. My love for her is stronger than ever, and I'm desperate to tell her how I really feel. _

_"Sweetheart, I love you! Come back!" I called. _

_"You have to catch me first!" _

_Her tantalizing giggles fade into the breeze as she skips across the bevy of stones in the river. I reach out to grab the back of her dress one more time, my only hopes of closing the gap between us becoming lost. _

_Raquél does not seem to be affected by the humid climate or the jagged edges of the stones, but I am. My eyes grow blurred with disorientation, my lungs fatigue with exhaustion; yet I'm determined to make sure she doesn't get away. I fight the crippling obstacles and quickly catch up to her. _

_She has to be in my arms now. With every last ounce of my strength, perseverance and affection, I am within mere inches of my angel. Up ahead I can see that the stones have grown smaller and wider until they disappear into a small lagoon. _

_Finally, I lock both of my arms around her waist just as I trip over the last stone, and we end up crashing into the shallow pool in a fit of laughter. The girl I've been chasing forever relaxes in my arms as I playfully sweep her body through the water. She tosses her head back and giggles blissfully. _

_"You caught me," she whispers. _

_"I love you, Raquél... With all my heart." _

_"I love you, too," she replies immediately. _

_As she tightens her grip around my shoulders I think about how lucky I am to have her in my life. Now that I finally have her, I'll never let go._

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

On Saturday morning I'd awoken to discover my Valentine's Day gift from yesterday planted at the foot of my bed. Both cream and scarlet roses were left strewn across the duvet. As I turned over to my side I was greeted by the enormous white teddy bear. Suspended from the ceiling were the "Be Mine" balloons. On my nightstand rest a fresh card signed by my boyfriend.

It read: _"Dear Raquél, _

_Since today is officially Valentine's Day I just wanted to let you know that I've been thinking of you ever since you told me you loved me. I couldn't have been happier to have you in my life. Have a great morning and I'll pick you up in a while. I love you..."_

Yesterday remained a complete blur, but it changed my life so much. I felt as if a whole other side of me had opened up to him, and I felt much stronger knowing that I had conquered my deepest fears.

Almost immediately, I called him and wished him a Happy Valentine's Day. Then without fear or hesitation, I replied "I love you" before hanging up. Saying it was much easier than I thought. I loved the way the sweet words simply glided off of my tongue.

Apparently, my mother also had a reason to celebrate. She had been spending the morning calling relatives and gushing about Troy's proposal the morning before.

As my uncle prepared breakfast for us, she announced that we were finally moving into Troy's condominium in two days. Even though we lost many things and nearly lost my sister in the apartment fire, there was nothing that could ruin our current happiness.

"How are you enjoying your first Valentine, Mama?" Uncle Oscar questioned as he prepared to pick up my aunt from the hospital.

Bringing my newborn cousin home was going to be a precious Valentine's Day gift for them to share.

"It's great so far. But how did Enriqué get the gifts in my room without waking me?"

"It was impossible to wake you up. You were out like a light," he chuckled.

"I guess you could say that yesterday was eventful. Enriqué and I kissed forever. I don't even think we realized that we were still sitting in the floor before you came home and gave us the look," I giggled.

"Well, I'm not exactly comfortable watching my niece make out in my foyer. But it was great what he did. Enriqué's a cool guy. He made it clear that all he wanted from you was your love and affection."

"Don't worry, _Tío_. You won't have to worry about me giving him anything else for a very long time," I laughed.

In the corner, my mother's face paled as she placed the phone down.

"You'd better not, little girl," she murmured.

Once my breakfast had been polished off, I jumped into the shower to prepare for my day with Enriqué.

We agreed that spending Valentine's Day at The Great Escape Six Flags was going to be a thrilling and memorable date. Later that night he planned to take me to the movies to watch Friday the 13th. Traditional romantic Valentine's Day activities like dinner or ice skating was not how we planned to express our love for each other. Ending the night cuddling to my boyfriend in fear of getting slashed by a masked killer was my ideal vision of the perfect Valentine's Day date.

At around 7:15 Enriqué stepped into the house to congratulate my uncle before he left. My sisters burst into giggles as my boyfriend treated me with a long kiss. My mother quickly escorted them into the kitchen and shot us a stern glance.

"You're lucky I'm still celebrating my engagement... I would yell at you if I wasn't so happy," she said.

"You're getting married? Congratulations," Enriqué said before pulling her into a hug.

"Oh, thank you, honey."

"Come on, Sweetheart, we should be going now. We've got a three hour drive ahead of us."

"Wow... Well, drive safely when you get on the road and Raquél, I want you to call me as soon as you get to Lake George, okay? I put extra money in your wallet in case you might want to get some food or anything else. I love you, baby," my mother said as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I love you too, Mami."

She found it difficult letting me go, mostly because it was the farthest we were going to be from each other.

"Don't be nervous, Mami. Enriqué will take care of me," I reassured her before pecking her cheek.

"I know he will, sweetie... I trust him."

If knowing that my mother trusted Enriqué was not a great start to my morning, I didn't know what was.

**~RMCR~**

**10:25 a.m.**

The long drive from Manhattan to Lake George wasn't as grueling as I thought. Enriqué and I kept ourselves entertained by blasting music on the radio and singing aloud. During the last two hours, we made silly bets on who was going to be the most scared on the amusement park rides.

"I don't scream on roller coasters unless it's out of enjoyment. I'm not afraid of a few drops and loops," I said confidently as we entered the park.

"What if someone died on a certain ride a few days ago and you sat in the same seat they were in before they died?"

"You are so morbid! Well, I'd still go on the ride because, one: rides become more popular after someone dies on it, and two: they would've fixed the problem by then."

"You're bluffing," he replied skeptically.

"Try me."

Enriqué established a firm grip on my palm so that I would not get lost in the thick crowd. Upon entering the bustling park, I couldn't help but notice that my boyfriend and I were not the only couple who decided to spend Valentine's Day at Six Flags. In fact, more than half of the thrillseekers around us were teenagers just like us.

"Which ride should we do first?"

"The scariest one," I grinned mischievously.

It was not difficult to spot the most popular roller coaster, and we headed towards the long queue of excited visitors.

On our way, we strolled past a group of Hispanic boys, who stopped just to gawk at me. Enriqué didn't see them at the time. Once we came to a stop, he took off his jacket.

"I'm going to find a locker to put this away. Stay right there until I get back," he said hurriedly before disappearing between the hordes.

I found no problem waiting in line by myself, but the trouble did not start until the same group of boys I'd walked past earlier that day came sauntering behind me. I cringed to myself as I sensed their ravenous eyes scanning my body.

An unmistakable feeling of danger lurked over me, but I pretended as if I hadn't spotted them and followed the line.

"Oye, Mamita," one of them called, which immediately reeled me in.

Reluctantly, I turned around to find the presumed leader if the group grinning flirtatiously at me. He reminded me too much of Carlos. They were the kind of boys who gelled their hair, wore leather jackets and sunglasses and used their deceiving charm to manipulate anyone they wanted. Those were the people I stayed the farthest away from, ironically because I seemed to attract their kind. Being a timid, inexperienced, and _helpless_ girl gave the arousing impression of the perfect victim. But I was not going to fall into his trap.

"What?" I replied impatiently.

"I just wanted to warn you that my hands have a mind of their own. They automatically grab anything that's as perfect as your ass."

Scoffing to myself, I turned my attention back to the front of the line and ignored their shady chuckles.

Just then, Enriqué silently pushed past the group and hooked his arm around my waist, making it known that I belonged to him alone. They hushed immediately as I did the same while resting my head against his shoulder.

"He's lucky his hands didn't grab anything. I would've kicked his ass for touching you," he murmured into my ear.

"I know... Any closer and I would've snapped his arm over my knee."

Pausing in his tracks, Enriqué let out a quiet laugh before kissing my forehead.

"I love you. Come on, Princess."

After the fifteen minute wait, Enriqué and I finally climbed into the small yellow car and eagerly waited for the attendants to lock us in.

The anticipation slowly began to build with every provoking crawl towards the top of the roller coaster, and in that instant before we plunged down to earth, I realized that I was finally content with my life. No matter who or what attempted to break us apart, nothing could ever change the way we felt about each other.

Once the first roller coaster was over with, Enriqué and I eagerly ventured off to find more thrill rides. Later that afternoon we decided to try our luck on the game kiosks, where my boyfriend and I competed to collect the most extravagant prize we could win. Although Enriqué ended up winning two more prizes than me, he insisted that I keep them as reminders of our day.

"These stuffed animals are so big; I doubt if they'll all fit in the back of your car," I said as we left the park with our oversized prizes.

Thinking that I looked adorable carrying the five foot teddy bear, he grinned and planted a kiss against my lips.

"If not I'll just stick this guy in the front seat and store you in the glove compartment," Enriqué chuckled.

"Do I really look that small holding this?"

"You're the tiniest thing I've ever seen."

The sun was starting to sink beneath the trees, but our date was far from over. Since we had agreed to leave at 6:00 in the evening, we would make it back to the city to catch the 9:15 presentation of Friday the 13th at the cinema. My first real Valentine's Day had simply exceeded how I pictured that day, and despite the minor incident that occurred earlier, I had never felt so secure knowing that Enriqué would do anything to protect me.

He was prepared for any challenge that came his way, even from me.

"When we're watching the movie and I'm crying my eyes out and holding onto you for dear life, how can I be sure that you'll make sure Jason doesn't get me?" I quizzed playfully.

After stuffing the last plush toy into his car, Enriqué lifted me onto the hood of his car and kissed me again.

"If he knew just how much I love you, he wouldn't dare."

**~RMCR~**

**Monday**

It was no surprise that the student body had been buzzing about my boyfriend's declaration over the weekend. Many people seemed astonished once we entered holding hands and looking as happy as ever. Popularity was no longer of importance to Enriqué, but he still couldn't escape its clutches.

Since the main Superiors happened to be present at the time, I imagined that Maya was infuriated and probably conjured up some rumor out of it.

"There's the happy couple! I told you everything would work out," Felicia squealed as she found us arriving in gym class.

Before departing for the separate locker room, Enriqué gave me a quick peck while my friends led me downstairs to get details.

"You have got to tell us about your weekend. How was Six Flags?" Eva asked as we began to change into our gym clothing.

"Everything went so much better than I expected. We went on almost every ride in the park, we ate so much junk food, and we got each other those oversized stuffed animals—you know, like the banana with the dreadlock cap? And later when we were at the movies he held me the whole time. He knew that I was going to be too scared to sleep, and we ended up talking over the phone until I passed out at five in the morning."

"Aww, that's so sweet! What did you do yesterday?"

"My mom's boyfriend Troy moved us into his house, and Quique came over for a while and we played Cranium. He didn't stay for long because he had practice... But it was one of the best weekends of my life," I replied contentedly.

"Well, we're so happy for the both of you. I can tell that you and my cousin are going to stay together forever," Felicia said sincerely.

"It's amazing how I feel when I tell Enriqué that I love him. The words roll off of my tongue without hesitation and it just feels so natural and right. And when he says it to me, I melt. I really believe that nothing can break us apart. I love him."

Just then, I felt my body jerk against the locker beside me. I was not surprised to discover Maya pushing her way past me in a clearly unblocked doorway.

"Move the hell out of my way, slut!" she barked, but didn't dare touch me because Felicia and Eva were standing right behind me.

They gave me the confidence to speak up for myself.

"No one wants to hear who you had sex with behind his back..."

"Are you still assuming that I sleep around with other guys? Enriqué and I love each other, and you can't change that no matter how much you harass me. For you to constantly make up these rumors about me doesn't impress anyone. It just shows everyone how jealous you are," I retorted bravely, which prompted my friends to break into applause.

_"Whoo-hoo!_ That's right, honey. Don't back down; you fight for yourself!" Eva cheered.

Knowing that she couldn't take her anger out on me without earning a proper beating courtesy of Felicia, Maya cursed aloud and stormed off in the other direction. After the adrenaline from standing up to my tormentor wore off, I turned back to my friends and extended my trembling palms towards them.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever done," I murmured giggling.

"Yeah, but it was also the bravest. I'm so proud of you, Raquél. It's the first step of proving to your bullies how strong you are," Felicia praised while rewarding me with a hug.

I was also proud of myself for the way I'd handled the confrontation, yet in the deepest reaches of my mind lurked the inevitable fear that Maya was prepared to launch her worst attacks on me. The premonition that she was out for revenge quickly became a frightening possibility for me to accept.

The first clue of my prediction arrived later that day as I returned to AP Psychology in the empty corridors. Time was hardly a concern of mine, and I took my time wandering the halls after I left the bathroom. I read almost every poster I came across, and occasionally paused to watch a class behind closed doors.

On my way past the last hallway before approaching the stretch to my classroom, a sudden pang of thirst had me reaching for the nearest water fountain. The cool stream of water brought satisfaction to my parched system, and I found myself spending more time drinking than I had anticipated. My desperate thirst now quenched, I wiped my sleeve across my lips and prepared to head back to class.

A startled gasp escaped as I came face to face with my most feared tormentor, Carlos.

"Going somewhere, Angel?"

With his palms planted firmly against my hips, I was unable to squeeze out of his grip. I cringed as he lifted my chin to meet my gaze.

"Now that you and Sanchez are an item, I guess I should warn you that he better sleep with one eye open. We all know how protective he is, and, well... We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to his most prized possession," Carlos chuckled, his poisonous breath scorching my cheeks.

Suddenly he spun me around, forcing my pelvis against the solid frame of the water fountain. I whimpered in fear as he pressed his own pelvis against my backside, letting me feel the impression of his growing arousal.

"When you get this, you wouldn't know what hit you... And we'll make sure you won't forget it for the rest of your life," he whispered, his voice thick with lust.

I was compelled to run away once Carlos finally released me, but sheer terror left me frozen in place.

"See you later, Angel."

There was no doubt that Carlos was determined to test Enriqué until he reached his breaking point. He knew that my boyfriend was not the kind of man who backed down from a challenge, and what a better way to test his patience than to threaten the person he was most willing to fight for?

After quickly getting my bearings straight, I fought the tears, put on a brave façade and marched back to class. But for the rest of the day my mind continued to conjure up graphic visions of how Carlos planned to harm me.

Knowing that I was in more danger than ever kept me on high alert, and made me extremely suspicious of anyone I wasn't close with. I convinced myself that staying close to Enriqué and my friends at all times would keep me out of harm's way, but in my life, I always had to learn the hard way.

Rape was not a lesson I was prepared to experience.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

With the temporary death of winter approaching, the flower buds were beginning to sprout on almost every tree in Central Park. Once I was granted freedom from football practice, I rushed into the park to meet Raquél near one of our favorite spots, the Bow Bridge.

From across the pond I spotted her leaning over the thick, cast iron barrier while observing a flower.

I recalled her telling me a few days ago that she loved it whenever I snuck up behind her and engulfed her in my arms. Deciding that it would be best to surprise her at the romantic spot, I wandered off the path and crept onto the opposite side of the bridge, the place we always exited together.

Luckily, Raquél had been waiting near the very end of the bridge, so I had no trouble sneaking behind her. I stood holding my breath as she continued to wait, unaware of my presence. Her curves were tantalizing and beckoning, which compelled me to reach for them sooner than I had anticipated.

But instead of leaning back into my chest like she normally did, Raquél's body tensed, and she gasped in fright as my palms slid around her hips. The gleam of panic was evident in her eyes as she spun around to face me.

"Oh, it's you, Enriqué. You scared me to death," she panted in relief before tightening her grip around me.

Something was wrong.

"Of course it's me, Sweetheart. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" she replied nervously.

"Because for a moment it looked like you were about to take a headfirst leap off of this bridge... Come on; tell me what's bothering you."

I sensed that there was something she did not want me to figure out, something that she knew would cause me to worry. If it had anything to do with her safety, I'd have an infinite number of reasons to be concerned.

"I can assure you that nothing is bothering me. _Estoy solo un poco..._ high-strung today. _Eso es todo,"_ Raquél denied as she led me off the bridge and beneath a tree on the stretch of grass.

Eager to be in my arms, my girlfriend sat across my lap and rest her head in the crook of my neck.

"'A little?'" I chuckled.

"Well, if people kept sticking their noses into your personal life, you'd be on edge too."

"Oh, I see what this is about. What did they ask you?"

"People were saying, 'Did you guys have sex? I heard you did so it must be true. How was it?'" she mocked in her best "Valley Girl" voice.

"Of course I said no, but here was the worst one: 'Do you want to have sex with Enriqué even though he's a virgin?' Don't get me wrong, I really do. It doesn't matter to me as long as you want to, but that's just so intrusive! Actually, it would be the best night of my life..."

Aside from my slight shock that Raquél was talking so openly about intimacy, I couldn't ignore the feeling that she was anticipating that moment sooner than I'd expected.

"How soon are you expecting that to happen?"

An incredibly deep hue of scarlet ran across her cheeks as she produced a shy grin.

"I don't know... Whenever you're ready, I guess," she replied coyly, before turning over on my lap.

The shift was innocent enough, but the way she straddled my legs caused my thoughts to wander.

"You know I'm ready, Raquél. Let's be honest, you're stunning and beautiful, and I still have a hard time controlling my emotions around you. But I'll be even more ready when you're completely ready," I replied while tucking a curl behind her ear.

My heart skipped a beat as she playfully raked her fingers down my abdomen.

"As in...?"

"Mind, body, spirit _and_ heart. Everything. If you lie to me and tell me that you're ready and you faint when we're about to do it, that's going to be on both of our consciences."

Slightly disappointed, Raquél nodded reluctantly and sighed.

"It's for your own good, Sweetheart. You know how much I care about you and I just want to make sure that rushing into intimacy won't leave you traumatized in any way," I murmured, lifting her chin.

"I understand, Enriqué. Why would I put myself in that situation? Maybe I got a little too ahead of myself."

"Te quiero."

Raquél finally cracked a smile and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Aww, I love you, too!" she squealed.

"Come on, let's go. We should really get a start on that book project."

"Oh, yeah, you're right. The sooner we start the sooner we can spend the rest of the afternoon kissing," I grinned suggestively, and took the flower from her hands before tucking it into her curls.

"That sounds like a plan. Let's go, boyfriend."

Without a second thought, my girlfriend and I raced across the field holding hands, our worries about school quickly diminishing.

While the harassment threatened to test our relationship, I viewed them exactly how I viewed the people who wanted to tear us apart: like the dirt beneath my feet.

**Please review! There's a lot more to come!**


	23. Powerful

**Chapter 23: Powerful**

**Enriqué**

Over the next few weeks I spent dating Raquél and getting to know her even more, I began to learn what a spirited firecracker she really was.

While most people at school assumed that she was boring and lifeless, my girlfriend was the most vibrant, cheerful person I'd ever come to know. Whenever we were alone or with my family, she kept us entertained with hilarious jokes and stories, often accompanied by dramatic gestures. Raquél often enjoyed challenging me to fun competitions like wrestling or play fighting.

But in school, her energy was always saturated by her fear of the Superiors and her label as a "nerd."

In confidentiality I was told that she thought it was easier to be what everyone expected her to be. I couldn't have disagreed more. I argued that nothing was worse than hiding her true identity and that she should've been proud of who she was.

"But they'll make fun of me even more. It's not worth trying now," she said to me.

"No they won't because you are amazing, and they'll love you for being yourself no matter who tries to kill your spirit. Your personality is one of the many reasons I love you."

We both knew that it was going to be an extremely tough task to take on, but Raquél was not going to be truly happy unless she let go of her inhibitions.

Two weeks later in Gym class, I also learned that she had a temper that packed a punch.

As we began our usual warm-ups, everything seemed to be going smoothly… until she was pelted in the shoulder by a basketball. Not expecting a show, most kids casually overlooked the situation as Carlos and his friends laughed.

But no one was as shocked as me once Raquél hurled the ball back and screamed, _"What the fuck is your problem, Carlos? You're such an asshole!" _

Felicia, Eva and I were rendered stunned silent along with the rest of the class as she fearlessly approached him. I contemplated shadowing my girlfriend in case necessary action needed to be taken, but something told me that Raquél could handle it.

There was no doubt that Carlos was also slightly taken back by the sudden outburst, yet obviously he brushed it off as if nothing ever bothered him.

"Ohh, baby got a voice? Look at you trying to be all tough—that's cute," he laughed.

"I've had enough of you and your idiot friends! If it's not already obvious, no one is laughing. You're not funny at all; you're just a jackass who thinks he's all that! But guess what? You're _nothing!"_

"I'm nothing? Well, look who's talking. Are _you_ captain of the champion basketball team, or does everyone worship the ground _you _walk on? Are _you_ one of the most popular kids here, huh? Tell me, sweetie," he challenged while cupping his ear for an answer. "Oh, what's that? I can't hear you…"

"Get over yourself, Carlos! I'm pretty sure almost all the girls at this school would rather throw themselves off of a bridge than date _you._ You'd be able to see it too if your head wasn't covering the whole gym," Raquél sneered, which caused the class to exclaim in amusement.

Carlos may not have thought that she was serious, but she was so angry that her bright emeralds had darkened to a menacing brown, and her fists kept trembling and rising as if she were raring to throw a punch. The sight was unfamiliar, and quite scary.

"Maybe you wouldn't judge the size of my head if you weren't talking to my shins," he chuckled.

He was playing with fire.

"And you're a hypocrite. I didn't see you jumping off a bridge, but I guess you were too busy spreading your legs for me—"

**_SMACK!_**

Before I could fathom whether I was in a dream or not, Raquél swiped a vicious hand across his face. The piercing sound rang throughout the gymnasium, causing the very fabric of time to come to a halt.

Now, Carlos was angry.

"Do it again… I _dare_ you," he murmured lowly.

Unafraid of the impending threat, her palm curled into a fist, and she punched him hard in the eye.

Before he could react violently, I quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. Needless to say, my girlfriend had ultimately humiliated Carlos to the point of no return.

Instead of fabricating a sarcastic retort or trying to fight back, he stormed off the basketball court and burst through the gym doors. Our coach, who had also witnessed the ordeal, saw no reason to punish Raquél, and ordered us to continue our warm-up.

"Serves him right," Eva murmured as Raquél marched back to us.

Kids parted and scattered when she passed by, furthermore creating a second label for her: The Tiny Terror.

"He needs to keep his big mouth shut. All he talks is bullshit."

"I'm glad someone taught him a lesson… But Sweetheart, you're so feisty," I chuckled softly while locking my arm around her waist.

Her eyes were bright green again as she glanced up at me with a smile.

Then she said, "I'm the most feisty girl you'll ever meet."

Aside from the great pride I felt watching her stand up to Carlos; I knew that she was getting closer to her goal of revealing her true, beautiful spirit.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

_Dear Diary,_

_Months ago, I never would've suspected that Maya's efforts to ruin my life were something more than to indulge her own sick pleasures. _

_But now that I'm no longer an easy target like I once was, I've recently started to become aware of the unmistakable pattern. When the torment began at the beginning of the year, it seemed as though the Superiors targeted me just because I was an underclassman. As it grew worse, I assumed that they were only compelled to humiliate me with elaborate setups because there was something wrong with me in particular. But since I've started dating Enriqué and spending time with his cousins, I somehow get the sense that Maya feels threatened by my sudden advantage. _

_She _is_ jealous of me. True, I'm not rich or exclusive or fawned over like she is, but I was never aiming to be popular because I know that I'll never have real happiness if I'm as cruel and selfish as Maya is. For once her clever plans to bring me down aren't going to work. She and her friends can pull out the big guns all they want. They can keep calling me names and push me around, but as long as I have my boyfriend and my best friends, I'll have nothing to worry about no matter what the threat. _

_If Maya wants a war, I'll give her a war._

The next day in English class we were asked to fabricate a list of our best abilities and past achievements in order to create a "brag poem" about them. In return we were instructed to write down questions to ask any student who would present.

This excited me in particular because I'd been given a chance to be praised for my abilities. In school, the only people that ever gave me recognition for my interests and achievements were my teachers and principals, and it made me feel like a complete alien compared to kids my age.

As I began my list, Enriqué glanced over my shoulder and smiled.

"You're going to have the best list, without a doubt."

"I'm sure you have amazing abilities, Quique. Let me see," I told him while reaching for his paper.

His eyes nervously flickered to my list and back to his.

"It's not that impressive," he murmured self-consciously.

"Football, Baseball, Mechanics, Calligraphy, Mambo dancing, Aviation... _what?_ You know how to fly a plane?" I gasped. "I never knew that about you."

"Just small Cessna planes. I got my license before I left Cuba but I haven't flown one since," he shrugged.

"This list is great, Enriqué. Keep going."

"What do you have on there: 'I can hack computers'?"

"Actually I can, but let's just keep that between the two of us," I laughed.

My boyfriend grasped my hand and planted a kiss against my knuckles.

"God, you're amazing."

"Raquél! Since you're so eager to share your list with Mr. Sanchez, why don't you start first?" my teacher questioned eagerly.

Mrs. Brown often liked to pick on me because she saw the potential I kept suppressed during school, and she wanted me to succeed just like my mother wanted.

"I-It's not ready—I just started," I lied.

"I'm sure you don't need to list them, honey. You don't have to stand up; just say it."

As she carefully coaxed me to describe my abilities, I knew that she didn't want to hide what I was truly capable of, and so did Enriqué.

Behind my back, I heard him whisper encouragingly, "Show them, genius."

"Um, I can speak Italian... and I've recently learned Sign Language."

"Great! What else? You must have plenty of amazing talents," Mrs. Brown said, grinning proudly as if I were her daughter.

"Well, I play the piano and I used to play the violin, but I eventually got tired of it. I'm CPR certified and I have some experience in medical first aid and midwifing. Yoga is still a hobby I use to keep stress away, and it keeps me focused. I also paint portraits or landscapes on my free time," I replied, hoping to God that she wouldn't ask for more.

There were countless things I kept hidden from my classmates because I feared they would think that I was weird.

"Don't hold back, Raquél. I know there's more... Can you play chess?"

"Yes, b-but it's too easy sometimes and I get bored with it. If you ask me anything about Chemistry, Calculus, Physics, or even Magneto hydrodynamics, I can solve most of the equations. And the last state spelling bee champion I won was for the word_ 'otorhinolaryngological'_ in eighth grade, but I dropped out after I was discovered by an agent who wanted me to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I just wasn't ready for all the attention. Also, my mom discovered that I had an IQ of 161 when I was six. Her IQ is 163 so that explains where I got my intelligence, and... I guess that's it," I shrugged timidly.

No one moved a muscle so much as blinked. The class watched me as if I were some kind of alien specimen. It was the reaction I often experienced whenever I revealed my true capabilities, and the exact reason I kept them hidden.

Looking as proud as ever, Mrs. Brown clapped aloud.

"And that is why you're my favorite student. You are so dedicated and talented in all that you do and you should _never_ try to hide such a special gift. Give Raquél a round of applause, class! She deserves it."

Without hesitation, my classmates burst into applause, including a very proud Enriqué.

"That was great, Sweetheart. Good job," he told me.

But as predicted, the Superiors were not as eager to congratulate me, and I sensed that that an outburst courtesy of Maya was in the works.

Outraged, she shot out of her chair and yelled, "Why does everything have to be about her? God, it's so damn annoying!"

The class, including my equally appalled teacher fell hushed as she stormed across the room and out the door, slamming it hard behind her. Even though I frequently believed that Maya was never jealous of me, her tantrum practically validated that she was envious of my intelligence.

As it turned out, even the most popular, impenetrable and wealthiest girl in my school didn't have everything she wanted.

**~RMCR~**

"... You should've seen the way she got up and stomped out of there like a bratty little kid. It was priceless," my boyfriend recalled to his sister that afternoon.

"Oh, my God! I wish I could've seen it myself. She's totally jealous."

It was the third time Enriqué had repeated the story; the first time to Felicia and Eva after school and a second time to his parents before they left an hour before. Growing up, I had always been able to answer some of life's toughest questions on my own, yet somehow I couldn't seem to figure out why Maya, of all people, was jealous of me.

I was torn away from my trance as my siblings squealed at Fátima. They were playing and laughing with her as if she'd known them from the moment they were born.

"I just don't get it... Why would she jealous of me?"

Enriqué, his sister and his cousins all watched me in disbelief.

Felicia made a gesture towards me as if to point out the obvious and said, "Hello! Look at you! You're a beautiful girl with stunning green eyes, curves that go on for days, and you look like a little Rapunzel with that long curly hair. Maya's just jealous that she'll never be on a billboard in Times Square."

"You guys really think I'm that pretty?" I questioned in disbelief.

Without a word, Enriqué tucked a stray curl behind my ear.

"You're a bombshell," he whispered, sending me a wink.

"I'm sure it's not the first time someone told you that you could be a model."

"People tell me all the time, but I'm still not entirely secure with my looks."

"It's not just the looks, Sweetheart. I mean, you're the first person I've ever met who has an IQ like Einstein. A lot of people would love to have a mind like yours."

"I know but most of the time it's pretty lonely. Sometimes I feel misunderstood because on the other hand, I get ostracized or teased for it. Who would want to feel that way?"

"It's just a matter of feeling threatened by someone who seemingly has more power than you," Eva determined.

"So, you're saying that Maya feels... threatened by me?"

"Not just threatened; she is completely _intimidated_ by you now that you have the upper hand."

"Uhh, I don't think so. She still intimidates me a lot, and I definitely don't have the upper hand. I mean, just the thought of what Maya can do to me makes me sick to my stomach. She has _plenty_ of physical power over me," I said.

"You never know, Raquél. Look at what Licia did to her a couple of years ago. But think about what you said. It's possible that she may have more physical power than you, but mentally, Maya is weak compared to you. The thought of you being an even better person than her makes her insecure, and that is one of the main reasons why she treats you the worst out of everyone else."

My boyfriend had made an extremely valid point.

If there was nothing more upsetting to Maya than knowing that she wasn't good at everything, it was having to accept that I was going to succeed not only in school and with my relationships, but with myself.

I did not consider myself better than her, but what else did she have to show for treating everyone around her like dirt?

Moments later, Enriqué's parents returned carrying a small suitcase, a box of supplies, and a baby girl.

Almost immediately Felicia, Eva and Fátima got to their feet and rushed over to meet her. I also followed, wondering who the little girl was.

"How are you, Esmeralda? You've gotten so big since I last saw you!" Felicia cooed while tossing the baby into the air before catching her.

Also seemingly familiar with Eva, the baby eagerly reached for her to receive a kiss.

"She's so cute. Who does she belong to?" I asked.

"She's my cousin's daughter. Vicki went to Miami to help her brother Mario move into his house," Enriqué said.

I immediately spotted the reason the baby girl had been christened Esmeralda, which was literally Emerald in English. She had bright green eyes just like me.

Suddenly her gaze shifted towards me, and she began to reach out her arms to me.

"Looks like someone wants to make a new best friend. Go say 'hi' to Raquél, sweetie."

The baby gave me the cutest grin as I plucked her out of my friend's arms. Everyone watched, eager to see how I would bond with her.

_"Tus ojos__ son muy hermosos._ They're just like mine, Princess," I said to her.

Esmeralda placed her finger above her eyes then pointed back at me.

"Oh-hos?"

"Yes, your eyes. Look at you; you're so smart! Do you want to meet my brother and sister?"

Apparently comprehending my question, the baby nodded and attempted to squirm out of my arms. As I placed Esmeralda on the floor beside my siblings, they exchanged silent, curious gazes and began to interact almost immediately.

"Wow, you have a way with babies, don't you? She doesn't usually adjust to new people the way she did to you," Stella replied.

"I wouldn't say that, but I am really experienced with babies. These two still call me 'mommy' most of the time."

That was when André looked up from his toys and pointed at me.

"Mama!"

"See? Since me and my mother care for them equally, they think they have two mothers."

"Wow. It must be so misleading when you're in public and they start calling you that. Why don't you tell them to call you _'hermana'?" _Fátima suggested.

"I tell them that all the time, but I don't know. It must be a comfort thing for them. Watch... _Soy tu hermana. No yo soy Mamá._ I'm your sister," I enunciated to my siblings.

My brother's features contorted in distress as he attached himself to my leg.

"No, Mama..."

Sighing to myself, I reached down and picked him up before he burst into tears.

"Guess I can't win," I giggled.

"Anyway, son, come help us put these things in the guest room. Your cousin needs her nap," Enriqué's father told him.

My boyfriend quickly gathered the baby and pressed a kiss against my temple. Once he had followed his parents upstairs, my friends spun around and grinned at me as if to contain their building excitement.

"What?"

"Did you see the way he looked at you when you were holding Mimi?" Eva questioned hintingly.

"No, not really."

"Enriqué _loves_ kids, especially his baby cousin. She's his little princess and he would do anything for her. Esmeralda doesn't always accept people she's never met, but she really likes you... If that's not a sign, I don't know what is," Felicia replied.

"A sign of...?"

I knew what they meant, but I just wanted to clarify that whatever I was thinking was the same thing they assumed. Without a word, all three girls exchanged quiet, secretive glances and smiled at me.

Just then, Enriqué came rushing down the stairs and pointed at the remote beside Eva.

"Quick! Turn the channel to Fox 5! You have to see this."

Seemingly not wanting to miss the current broadcast, Eva hastily did as she was told while we gathered around the television.

I did not think that the breaking news my boyfriend wanted us to see was nothing new, yet once I saw the capitalized headline stretching across the bottom of the screen, my heart stopped.

"... Our own Tai Hernandez has more on this story. Are you there, Tai?"

We all leaned forward on the edge of our seats as the camera switched to the female reporter, who stood at the scene with mike in hand. In the background, a crowd of relatives and bystanders were lighting candles and placing stuffed animals and flowers at the doorstep of the victim's home.

"I'm here, Ernie. A heartbreaking scene unfolds here on Snyder Avenue, where the mother of fourteen year old Olivia Torres made the gruesome discovery in her own home. Angelica Torres returned from work earlier this afternoon to find her youngest daughter lying unconscious on the floor with a rope tied around her neck. Torres immediately called her family and 911 for help, but by the time paramedics arrived it was much too late to save Olivia. Police have ruled this death as a suicide after finding a note written by Olivia stating that she was quote 'sick of the torment and solitude.' The note also revealed that she was allegedly raped by a boy she claimed to be one of her bullies during school and police are now searching for possible suspects. Now, as you know this is the third bullying-related suicide to occur this year, and it is truly sad that nothing is being done to stop this cruelty. These kids are so young and they should not feel that ending their own life is a last resort. We need to let bullied teens know that they are not alone and put an end to this before we lose more innocent and precious lives. This is surely a tragedy that will rock this small Brooklyn community for years to come..."

The spacious room seemed to be closing in on me with every passing second, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen as Olivia's sobbing aunt made an appearance.

"I just can't believe this! This is a nightmare; it's the worst day of my life. Olivia was such a beautiful and loving person and she didn't deserve to die so young. We love her so much and we're going to fight until those monsters are behind bars."

It was only until a recent picture of Olivia Torres faded onto the screen that I realized how much in common I had with her. Once the broadcast showed a clip of her covered body being carried into a coroner van, I lost all control over my emotions.

Before I thought I was going to throw up on the carpet, I ran into the nearby bathroom with Enriqué in pursuit. He immediately wrapped me in his arms as I tried to make sense of the tragedy.

"Why her? Why not me? It's not fair!" I sobbed.

"I know it was hard for you to watch but I thought you had to see it for your own good. You can be the voice who speaks up for people like Olivia—the kids who didn't have the chance to be heard..."

"No, no, I'm not. Don't you understand? That could've been me! But why couldn't I have died instead of her?" Managing to keep me calm, my boyfriend gently rocked me on his lap and wiped my tears away.

"Look, we can't really understand why things like these happen. No one can explain how you survived when you made the same attempt as Olivia, but there must be a reason for—"

"What reason is there for an innocent girl to kill herself because of a bunch of bullies? You don't know what it's like to feel trapped, Enriqué... To feel like everyone's after you and no one cares. People like me would do anything, _anything_ to be free, even if that means taking their own lives. How do you expect me to be a voice for Olivia if I can't even speak for myself?"

"Raquél, I'm not expecting you to stand up to bullying, I _want_ you to think about what this can do for you and millions of teens in your situation. You're the strongest person I know and no one else can fight as hard as you can. You're powerful, Sweetheart. You're _very_ powerful," he encouraged me.

In the midst of my grief, I couldn't help but agree that he was right. The only miracle that would come out of Olivia's suicide was if I gained the courage to talk about bullying and educate people about the deep and lasting wounds it inflicts on teenagers like me. It was my chance to speak up for bully victims who were silenced by their own anguish. I just didn't know how to start.

As I looked up from Enriqué's shoulder, I found Eva leaning against the doorway wiping away a few tears of her own.

"I know you can do it, Raquél. Do it for Olivia," she said.

The matter just wasn't about me or Olivia Torres, but for every adolescent in my position, including the girl I now considered to be my sister. Eva managed a smile as I took her hand.

"No. I'm not just going to do this for Olivia... I'm going to do this for all of us."

**Thank you for reading! Review!**


	24. On the Brink

**This came out rather quickly because I was lucky enough to avoid writer's block this time. Anyway you're in for a shocking twist in this chapter so read up and tell me what you think! :)**

**Chapter 24: On the Brink**

**May**

_Dear Diary, _

_What can I say about these past three months besides the fact that they have been an absolute bliss? _

_If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up. I'm falling more and more in love with my sweet boyfriend every day, and I've never felt so loved and protected when we're together. Enriqué makes me stronger and more assured about myself, and in return I let him know how much I appreciate his commitment to me. He always worries about me, and it's great because I know that he'll do anything to protect me. _

_That's why I still haven't told him about the confrontation in the hallway between me and Carlos. He and his friends still make threats against me, but I always keep them a secret. If Enriqué knew that they had the intent of hurting me, he'd end up killing them with his bare hands. That's not a sure possibility, but who knows what my boyfriend is capable of doing to boys half his size? _

_Violence is something he has managed to avoid for most of his life, yet when the people he loves are in danger, a destructive outcome is not too far behind. I have never seen him truly angry, and knowing that the threats I've been dealt with are from the Superiors, I intend to keep that a secret from him for as long as I can. _

_I mean, what's the worst that can happen?_

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

"Can I tell you something?" I asked one afternoon out of the blue.

My girlfriend's curls twinkled in the sunlight as she flicked them over her shoulder. She continued to twirl the blade of grass between her fingers and distractedly brushed it against my arm.

"Sure."

"Well, I've never told anyone this before—not even my parents. You'll be the first person to know this," I began hesitantly.

For such a young girl, she sensed that it was a sensitive matter for me and rubbed my shoulder to lend encouragement.

"It's okay. Tell me."

"You already know how I told you before that my family and I have gone from middle class to dirt poor several times when we lived in Cuba... As a kid sleeping in the streets I've seen things that no child should ever see, but we couldn't really avoid that kind of stuff. I've seen men try to take my mother or my sister for sex slaves or dealers offering drugs to my dad; and after a while I got pretty used to it. My parents told me to stay away from the gangs and I did. But one night I saw something I'll never forget for the rest of my life."

The horrible memories of that past came flooding back all at once, and I found it difficult to recall the story in front of Raquél. But she had to know.

"In the city I come from, Trinidad, it's not really a place where violence is a frequent occurrence. In fact crime is very rare where I come from; it's just that when it does happen it comes as a big shock to us. There was this old, abandoned house I used to go to near the end of town as a safe getaway. I used to watch the merchants return with fish on their boats during sunset or just analyze people as they walked by, wondering what it was like to live their lives. Anyway, one night when I was fifteen, I got into a huge and stupid argument with my parents, so I just ran across town without thinking about the dangers at that hour. It was close to midnight by the time I got to the house, and I just stayed there to get my frustrations out. No big deal, I'm safe, I thought. But I was far from safe. Maybe after an hour or so, I heard this girl scream out of nowhere. It was meant to be a cry for help but I could just tell that someone had silenced her. When I looked over the second floor balcony of the house, I saw these two guys having a struggle with the girl. These guys were probably in their twenties and she couldn't have been older than thirteen years old. She was kicking and scratching at them but they were just too strong. They taped her mouth, tied her up and raped her in the back alley for two hours while I watched from the window. It was horrible."

"Oh, my God," Raquél whispered as she placed her hand across her lips in shock.

"The girl was sobbing in fear and pain, and they did nothing but laugh and mock her. At one point one of the guys took a knife out of his pocket and gave her little slashes across her back and legs before spitting on her, and I remember just wanting to kill them for hurting her. What did this little girl ever do to them to deserve that treatment? She was an orphan—she had no parents, not even a friend to rely on. All I could do was cry and pray to God that she would make it to sunrise. But her chances of survival were dwindling by the second. So I decided to stop the assault myself even though there was a chance that I would be killed. Without thinking, I picked up this large brick and threw it as hard as I could at the guy who was raping her at that moment. I hit him right in the head and knocked him out. Before the other one caught me, I jumped out of the window on the other side and ran as fast as I could down the street. The guy saw me running and started to chase me with the knife, ready to kill me because of what I watched. He didn't see my face because I was so far ahead, but he was catching up fast and I knew that I had to get to someone before it was too late. Luckily, I happened to bump into two police officers, and when that guy followed, the only thing he found was the barrel of a gun pointed at his face. I told them about the homeless girl and his unconscious partner in the alley, and they arrested him immediately and caught the other one soon after. It turned out I gave the man a concussion and left a good sized gash in his head. The girl was taken to a hospital for her serious wounds but survived. Actually, one of the nurses was so shocked when she learned about the girl's homelessness that she adopted her. It relatively ended well for all of us, but I can't imagine the trauma she has to face every day for that one incident. It was only two hours, but I'm sure she'll never forget those two hours for a very long time."

"Wow... That's an extremely tough situation for a young girl to be in, especially when she's violated by people she doesn't even know. To feel weak and helpless while these guys do whatever they want with you... Just the thought of it makes me nauseous," Raquél said, but she quickly put the pieces together. "Did you tell me this story because you think something like this is going to happen to me?"

"Well... It's not that I think it's going to happen to you, but sometimes I worry that—"

"You do! You do think I'm going to get raped!" she gasped, jumping to her feet in outrage.

"No, Raquél. I honestly don't—that's terrible. It's just that I see the way some guys look at you; especially the Superiors, and it's disturbing to think what they're picturing in their minds. They're teenage boys after all... I just want you to know how vigilant I am of your safety, and if anything were to ever happen to you like it did to the little girl, I'd never forgive myself. I love you, Sweetheart. I don't want to see you get hurt," I told her.

As I lifted her chin, Raquél glanced down in contemplation and nodded silently.

"I love you, too. But you know that I'm a strong girl. I've had a near-death experience for God's sake."

"You _are _strong. Just be careful, is all I'm saying."

No longer upset, Raquél wrapped her palms around my bicep and pulled herself up to kiss me.

"Why be careful when I have a big, strong, _muscular_ boyfriend to keep me safe?" she giggled. "You may not be a violent man but most guys who come across you would rather not test that theory... If I could push you over, I can push any guy off of me."

"What do you mean by push me? I've pinned you down plenty of times and you couldn't get up," I replied skeptically.

She lifted her head from my chest with a quiet scoff.

"That was only because I was laughing. I can't fight back when I laugh too much."

"Oh, yeah?" I murmured, calling her bluff.

Her squeal pierced the warm spring air as I tumbled over and pinned her arms against the grass. She burst into laughter before slapping my chest.

"That is so unfair! You knew that I wasn't going to expect it!"

"You said you could push me off. Come on, baby."

But instead of fighting me off like she usually did, her green eyes suddenly glowed in mischief, which confused me more than anything.

"As much as I would love to prove you wrong, there's just something about being pinned down by a man that makes my heart skip a beat... It's kind of exciting," she admitted, biting her bottom lip in the most enticing manner.

_Oh, my God,_ I thought. She was being seductive.

"W-what?"

Before I could wonder what had encouraged her to come to the sudden confession, the grass seemed to tumble over in one swift motion, and I found myself looking up at the sky. Above me, Raquél pressed my shoulders back so that I could not move, and shook her head in mock pity.

"I feel sorry for you, Enriqué. If you're going to buckle every time I flirt, you won't stand a chance against me," she laughed cleverly.

"It may have worked this time but I can assure you, it's not going to work next time. I can throw you clear across this backyard if I wanted to, but I won't because you'd get seriously hurt."

"I know you won't because you're the best boyfriend in history and you love me way too much to hurt me, right?"

"You have no idea," I whispered.

"Ohh, I love you, too, Quique," she cooed.

Raquél let out another giggle while leaning down to kiss me. As my girlfriend rest her head between the valley in my chest, I knew that she understood how far I was willing to go to protect her from threats like Carlos and his friends.

If she was to learn just how far, she certainly would have been shocked.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

So far, my efforts to put a ban on bullying in school had come up short, yet I was far from quitting. Since I'd made the promise to myself to make people aware of bullying three months ago, Felicia, Eva, and Enriqué had been eager to support me.

But that didn't stop the Superiors from launching their latest round of attacks.

Their torment against me had gotten from meager and annoying to daring and threatening. They knew that at any moment, one of my friends could retaliate if they attempted to harm me, yet the Superiors began to torment me in front of them, no longer behind their backs.

Last month, Maya and Sean had gotten suspended for a week after they were caught throwing food at my back. On April 1st, otherwise known as April Fool's Day, I opened my locker that morning only to find a skimpy nurse costume, several sex toys, a pair of handcuffs and a can of whipped cream tumbling onto the floor at my feet.

Then, Carlos pushed me to the floor as he dashed by saying, "Keep your business on the corner, you kinky freak!"

I burst into tears and ran to the bathroom while Felicia and Eva followed to comfort me. Enriqué was infuriated. It took four members of his team to hold him back from beating Carlos into the floor. He was also suspended for a week.

Lately I'd been trying my best to stay strong whenever I was faced with such humiliating situations, but sometimes, I caved because there was only so much I could handle.

One afternoon in class, I nearly snapped completely.

Creating in-class collage projects under Mrs. Brown's authority was not as boring as one might have thought, and my boyfriend and I immediately paired up and began scheming concepts for our collage tower. While Enriqué collected the supplies that we would need, I began skimming through magazines for the appropriate images to cut out for our project.

At the same time, I was mindful of Maya and her friends, who sat just a table away from us. After all, we _were_ working with sharp tools.

At one point, I became confused when Rosa told me, "Your hair is so long and pretty. Maybe you should share it with the rest of us."

The misleading comment left me slightly concerned, and I quickly pulled my curls into a loose bun to draw unwanted attention away.

"You look so cute looking through that magazine... Here are the boxes we need for the collage," he said while pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Thanks. I have an idea for the tower, but I'm not sure if it's something you'll like."

Giving me his undivided attention, Enriqué pulled a chair beside me and said, "I'm sure I'll like it. Go ahead, Sweetheart."

"Well, I was going to do contrasts with the positive benefits of inner beauty and the negative influence of outer beauty. I just want to show that even though most people prefer outer beauty over inner beauty, inner beauty always comes out on top."

"Let's use that. I think it's great."

"Really?"

"Of course, Raquél. You know how I love your intelligent ideas. Come here," he murmured into my ear before wrapping his arm around my waist.

I couldn't help but giggle as he began to tickle my sides, and I squirmed in his arms until I'd almost collapsed on the floor. Our teacher had stepped out of the room, so there was no way that I was going to be rescued.

Suddenly, a loud gasp echoed throughout the classroom, which caused me and my boyfriend to stop our antics.

But instead of glancing in another direction at the source of the gasp, I quickly realized that the students were looking at me. By the shocked expressions on their faces, I knew that something had gone wrong. Their eyes repeatedly shifted from my hair to the floor behind me, and I had to find out what had occurred.

When I spun around in my chair, I was horrified to find a couple of long, thick curls from my head lying in the middle of the floor. Mike skipped back to his table while suppressing a laugh, and attempted to hide the pair of scissors behind his back.

"What did you just do? Are you fucking crazy?" I exclaimed in outrage.

There was a small part of me that wanted to cry, but I was too blinded by anger to have that reaction. Enriqué also shot out of his chair, eager to back me up.

"Why the hell would you cut her hair?"

As expected, Mike and his friends laughed as if one of my most precious assets was not mutilated out of amusement. A line had to be drawn somewhere.

"That's not funny! You don't cut someone's hair and act like it's a joke. You guys are just assholes! I hate you!"

"Aww, the little baby's gonna cry. Do you want me to change you diaper, baby?" Carlos mocked, pouting his lips at me.

"When are you going to realize that I don't want to be involved with you at all? I've never done a thing to any of you! My life would be so much easier if I didn't have to worry about being tortured whenever I come to school, but no, I have to sit here and suffer every day!" I screamed while hurling my chair at them.

My anger continued to build with an intensity I had never experienced before. My hands shook from adrenaline like they always did, and my voice rose to a foreign octave. But the out-of-body phenomenon caused something in me to snap after months of bottling up my emotions.

It was a dangerous combination, and Mike happened to be standing in the line of fire.

"Ohh, _now_ you're getting angry. What are you going to do, baby? What are you going to do?" he taunted.

Without thinking, I grabbed the pair of scissors from my desk, and before Enriqué could stop me, I had already lunged at Mike.

"Raquél, stop!"

He scrambled around the desk as I chased him, but I had seized my opportunity once he tripped and fell onto the floor. As the scissors seemed to thrust towards his abdomen in slow motion, there were all kinds of chaos rushing by me. I could hear the sounds of my classmates screaming in panic and horror, feel the cold metal of the scissors stinging my fingers, and see the pure terror that was etched in Mike's face.

But I couldn't stop it, and before I knew it I had plunged the instrument into my target.

The room fell silent as reality quickly set in, and as Enriqué grabbed me and pulled me away, I was too afraid to look at the gruesome scene I'd created. What I did was low, heartless and evil. I could have already sealed Mike's fate over a few strands of hair, something that would eventually return to normal.

But I couldn't reverse the situation even if I tried. My boyfriend kept telling me to breathe and that everything was going to be fine, yet we both knew that the penalty for my uncontrollable rage was surely going to ruin my life.

Unable to handle the disastrous turn of events, my body succumbed to distress, and the last thing I saw was a crowd closing in on me.

**~RMCR~**

"Wake up, Sweetheart, wake up… That's right, Raquél. Open your eyes for me, baby."

The cloudy face of my boyfriend came into focus, and I felt my body being gently shaken back to life. Without the slightest recollection of what had happened, I sat up on the floor to take in my surroundings.

There was no surprise that a group of concerned classmates were surrounding me, and I sensed that I must have been responsible.

That was when it all came flooding back. I had stabbed Mike after he deliberately cut my hair.

But as I looked around more, I found no paramedics surrounding my victim or an army of police officers ready to arrest me.

"W-what happened? Did I hurt him?" I asked fearfully.

"No, you didn't hurt him, Sweetheart. He's fine," Enriqué reassured me while helping me to my feet.

As nervous as I was to find out exactly where I had planted the scissors, I glanced back only to find them protruding from Mike's backpack.

"It was a close call. Mike flipped over just as you caught him, and the scissors went into the side of the bag instead. Look at him, he's fine."

With a stressed sigh of relief, I sat down before my unsteady legs could bring me down again. I could finally breathe knowing that I hadn't killed anyone.

In the corner, the Superiors continued to talk as if the past five minutes were just a fragment of my imagination.

Upon her return, Mrs. Brown had no knowledge of the ordeal and became upset when she found her students doing nothing.

"What are you all standing around for? Get to work; you have five minutes left!" she ordered.

Deciding that it was best to keep the accident a secret from her, everyone went on with their projects, but I knew that as soon as class was over the story of my outburst would spread like wildfire.

"And that's exactly why you shouldn't test people you don't know," I heard my boyfriend murmur to Mike, before he wrapped a comforting arm around me.

As I tried my best to help him finish the project, I couldn't stop thinking about the way my classmates looked at me, as if I was a monster.

If striking fear into my tormentors was going to give me the power I wanted, I didn't want to be powerful at all.

Although I had wanted to keep word of the incident hidden from my mother, I felt that it was the right thing to do considering that she was once in my position.

By the time Enriqué and I arrived at my house, we walked through the doors to find my aunt and uncle. Aunt Aurelía was preoccupied chatting with my mother in the living room while Uncle Oscar and Troy played cards in the kitchen. They all seemed to spot us as I hesitantly made my way across the room.

"You two are home early. Come over here and tell us about your day," my cheerful mother said, motioning towards us.

But she quickly realized that my day at school was anything but normal, and made space on the couch for my boyfriend and I to sit.

"What's wrong, baby? Tell me."

Even Troy and my uncle returned from the kitchen to listen to my story.

"Um, well, this is kind of hard for me to say but today I did something really bad. There was this incident with Mike and scissors and my hair and I really could've hurt someone..."

"Wait! Slow down, Raquél. Take your time and tell me what happened."

Before I made it home I'd promised myself that I would not let my emotions get the better of me, but recalling the frightening events of that afternoon brought back the painful new memory.

"When me and Quique were in English class, we were supposed to work on this project that involved magazines and glue and scissors; like arts and crafts. And somewhere during the middle of class Mrs. Brown told us that she had to go to the office for five minutes. Since she was gone, me and Enriqué were kind of playing around so we weren't really paying attention, and after a while I noticed that Mike had cut two big strands of hair when I wasn't looking... See?"

The adults gasped as I revealed the short tufts of hair that had been damaged from the cut.

"He _cut_ your hair? Why would he do that?" my stepfather questioned in slight outrage.

"They're popular; they thought it was funny because they don't care about anyone but themselves."

"Well, that doesn't give them a right to do something like that! It's ridiculous the way those kids treat you," my aunt replied.

"Yeah, I know. I was just so angry and humiliated; and they just kept laughing at me. Today, I don't know what came over me. I finally reached my breaking point and I—I'm sorry, it's just hard for me to think about," I apologized, my voice breaking.

The room became stifling as I built the courage to speak to my parents.

Letting me know that he was going to back me up no matter what, Enriqué gently wiped away my tears and whispered, "It's okay. I'm sure they'll understand."

Now my mother was nervous.

"Understand what?"

"I nearly killed him… I-I wasn't thinking and I grabbed the scissors and tried to stab him. I'm so sorry, Mom! I didn't mean to!" I cried.

Never in my short fourteen years of life had I ever seen my mother so horrified. She looked at me the way my classmates did as I had finished my stabbing.

"You stabbed someone? What on earth were you thinking? You could go to jail!" she exclaimed.

"But Mami, it's not what you think. Mike moved away enough for me to catch his bag instead, and Mrs. Brown wasn't in the room when it happened. He's fine."

But there was no stopping her outrage.

"I don't care if you missed. That still counts as attempted murder, and over what? A few strands of hair! Hair grows back, Raquél; you can't bring someone's life back. You can still be charged for what you did."

"You don't understand, Mami! All they do is harass me and I'm just sick of it! Why should I have to subject myself to humiliation every day when _nothing_ is being done to stop it?" I argued.

"Raquél, there are much better solutions to dealing with bullying without resorting to violence."

I couldn't believe that my mother would rather watch me suffer than give me the support I needed. My impending retaliation was something I did not want to say to my mother, but I knew that it was going to be the only way that she would know how I'd been feeling lately.

"If I'd killed myself back in December, would you understand now?" I said lowly before storming off to my bedroom, leaving her speechless.

I had meant for my words to leave a strong message to my mother, but that quickly proved that I had broken her heart once again. Once the door slammed shut behind me, I broke down in tears and sunk to the carpet. Almost instantly I found myself rejecting the knock against the door.

"It's me, Sweetheart. Let me in," the soft voice followed.

I had to let him in. Enriqué immediately engulfed me in his arms, which caused me to cry even more. He lifted me off the floor and sat me across his lap.

"Why can't I do anything right? I'm so horrible!" I sobbed into his chest.

"No, you're not horrible. I'm sure that your mother was upset because she was scared for your safety. Things today could've turned out much worse, and no mother wants to find out that their child hurt someone."

"I know. But what if Mike didn't move? I would've been a killer, Enriqué. A killer! That means that I'd have to spend the rest of my life in jail over something as stupid as hair. And I would have to live with the guilt of knowing that I ended someone's life. I still feel guilty for what I did and for what I just said to my mom."

My boyfriend managed to lift my mood slightly, wiping away my tears and rocking me back and forth. Then, he gave me the best advice that I could follow.

"As bad as you feel about this, you need to talk to your mom and tell her how you're feeling now and how you felt during class. And, this may be hard for you to do—honestly, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the only way you'll feel better about the incident with Mike is if you apologize to him. Even though you deserve even more of an apology from him, it's the right thing to do," he told me.

"You're right, I should. My mom deserves a huge apology from me, and even if Mike doesn't give me back an apology, I'll be the better person for accepting that I was also wrong."

Just as I glanced over Enriqué's shoulder, I spotted my mother standing in the doorway. Although her tears had almost dried completely, I could see that they were threatening to fall again. Enriqué also noticed.

"I should be getting home now, okay, baby? I'll see you tomorrow. I love you," he whispered before pecking me on the lips.

"I love you, too... Bye."

Once I was left alone with my mother, she cautiously approached my bed and asked, "Is it okay if I sit?"

I only replied with a wordless nod, and made room for her to sit. She awkwardly sat beside me as her hands fidgeted, not knowing what to say. This was the woman who I could turn to with any problem I had, and now we both had nothing to say. I decided that apologizing was the best way to start.

"I don't mean to hurt you, Mami. I really don't. I am so,_ so_ sorry for what I said and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. But sometimes, it's like you don't understand what it's like to be me. I know that you had the same problems as me in high school, but we're two different people. Not everything that's happened to us provoked the same feelings. It's not possible."

"Honey, I'm trying my best. We talk about everything except for your feelings. You've spoken to me about Carlos, your friends; even the fact that you've discussed sex with your boyfriend. I really respect whatever emotions you feel, but it's just not enough. I love you and I want you to make the best decisions for yourself. Do you know the scare you gave me out there?" she questioned tearfully.

"No," I murmured guiltily.

"If you're contemplating this suicide thing again—"

"I'm not thinking about it. Why should I give up when they're so close to losing? But there's just one piece of the puzzle that's missing. All I need is that one thing and I'll be free," I said as I frantically searched my thoughts for any clue that would decode this mystery I was so desperate to solve.

"And what exactly is it?"

"It's me, mom! I-I'm not as changed as I think. I just want to feel invincible around Maya and her friends. It doesn't matter that I now have a boyfriend and best friends; I need to find my own strength. Sure, I've been lucky to have them close during class and in the halls but you heard what happened at the movies and what happened today. Just when I think I'm one step ahead, I'm taking two steps behind. I can't imagine what they'll do to me if I'm ever caught alone. It'll break me. I'm so scared and angry, and I never meant to hurt anyone but what more can I do to survive? I want to be a hero for kids in my position, but if I don't do anything about it, no one will."

"Don't ever doubt what you're capable of, Raquél. It's not going to be easy, but you can do this. And if it helps, I'll fight with you until we kick those bullies off of their pedestals. They _are_ losing, and if you give up now, you're going to lose even more," my mother told me firmly.

She never failed to show me what was important, and because of her words of encouragement, I became even more compelled to find courage within myself.

I knew that it wasn't going to be easy; my mother was right. But challenges were something I should have been used to by now. No matter what challenge I had yet to face, I would be ready.

I was sure of it.

**There's so much drama to come in the next chapter and I'm so excited I just can't stand it! Please lend me your feedback and I'll be working extra hard on my next chapter. Thank you for reading! **


	25. Always

**This was honestly a long delay but here it is! I promise that this chapter will leave you speechless. So just read and enjoy the drama…**

**Chapter 25: Always**

**Raquél**

The imminent dread of going back to school after the incident seemed to haunt my conscience that morning. Although I personally felt that I deserved more of an apology from Mike, I knew that I had to swallow my pride if I wanted things to be settled between us.

I looked forward to spending the afternoon with my boyfriend after he promised to take me to roller skating later. Since summer was fast approaching, I made the spontaneous decision to go to school wearing a cute bubble skirt paired with a simple racer-back tank top.

Just a few months ago, I never would have had the confidence to wear a skirt knowing that the boys at my school couldn't help their eyes from wandering. But a few stares were not going change my mind.

What harm could it do?

"Wow! You look beautiful, Raquél," Enriqué said as I approached his car.

I eagerly accepted a kiss before climbing into the seat beside him.

"Thank you, Enriqué. I just wanted to try something new."

"Well, you look amazing. And your legs are..."

He quickly stopped himself, as if he feared that the observation he was contemplating would offend me.

"They're what?" I asked.

As we came to a stop at an intersection, he glanced over at me and replied hesitantly.

"They're sexy... You're sexy."

His reply left me surprised, but for reasons I never expected. That nonexistent feeling of being labeled as a sex object gave me yet another reason to trust him.

"For the first time, I'm not uncomfortable with that word. If you were someone else I'd be completely repulsed, but since you're my boyfriend, it makes me feel great... You're so sweet, Quique," I cooed, leaning over to embrace him.

"That's such a relief to hear. You had me scared for a minute; I thought you were going to be mad."

"Well, I love you, and to know that you're honest about your opinions of me is very touching. And since we're both being honest, I have a confession to make."

"Oh, you do?" Enriqué said.

"Your body makes me so weak in the knees. Your chest and your arms are my kryptonite, and I can never think straight whenever you stand in front of me without a shirt. I think that you're sexy, too," I admitted, blushing furiously.

Upon our arrival at the school, Enriqué pulled into a parking space before we shared a deep, passionate kiss.

As our lips slowly separated, he rest his forehead against mine and said, "Now you know how I feel."

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

Once Raquél and I had retreated into our first class of the day, I was left slightly concerned after I counted the amount of boys who turned their heads as my girlfriend walked by. Entering English class was no different, except she received twice as many stares because of the incident that occurred nearly 24 hours before.

Deciding that it was best to get it over with, Raquél began her hesitant advance toward Maya's group to give Mike his apology. They fell silent once they spotted her. The boys' eyes immediately scanned her body.

Carlos in particular seemed to like what he was seeing, which made me extremely uncomfortable.

"Uh, Mike... About yesterday, I'm sorry for trying to hurt you. It was reckless and immature of me, and I take it back," she managed to say, her hands fidgeting.

It was evident that my girlfriend was not going to get the apology she deserved, and to make matters worse, he pretended as if he cared. His friends snickered as he fabricated a false apology.

"Apology accepted. And I guess I'm sorry for letting the scissors slip out of my hand by accident. You see, I was just playing with it and it fell out of nowhere. Honestly, I don't know how it ended up in your hair; must've been a phantom," he said with a straight face, causing the group to unsuccessfully suppress their laughter once more.

Even as Raquél stood in front of them after speaking from her heart, they had the nerve to laugh at her.

"Whatever... Ass," she scoffed to herself as she walked away from them.

It was not difficult to spot the few pairs of hungry male eyes following her legs while she made her way back to me.

"Don't be upset, Sweetheart," I said once she plopped down in the chair beside me. "If he can't put aside his ego for one minute to apologize to you, then that just shows how immature he is."

"I go through all of that and he just sits there acting like an idiot... Maybe I _should've _killed him," she murmured darkly, fuming to herself.

"Oh, you don't really mean that."

Raquél sighed dejectedly and stared blankly at the desk.

"You're right, I don't. But didn't he learn anything from yesterday?"

"Don't worry, baby. I'm sure he'll pay either way for being insincere," I reassured my girlfriend while stealing a glance at the group.

The way Carlos, Mike, Ricky, Sean and Derek stared at her; the way their eyes gleamed with danger and lust brought a whole new fear to my attention. As her boyfriend, it was my absolute duty to make sure that Raquél was kept far away from sick perverts like them.

They would not hurt her as long as I was there.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Gym class never became an interesting juncture until we were granted permission to go outside.

Like a trio of elementary schoolgirls, Felicia, Eva and I raced onto the field before the rest of the class, and began our own little game of soccer. Meanwhile, my boyfriend and a few of his teammates decided to play football on the far end of the field.

The day was perfect and sunny, and I thought that nothing could ruin my happiness.

"So, what are your plans for this summer?" Eva asked me.

"I'm not sure. My mom said that she was planning to take us to Puerto Rico so that Troy can meet the rest of our family. As much as I _would _love to go home, I just want to stay here with Enriqué. After you two leave for camp, he'll be all alone for the rest of the summer."

"Maybe, but his parents wouldn't do that to him. If he's lucky they'll probably send him to Miami to be with his cousins. Mario is Esmeralda's uncle," Felicia replied.

"Well... I guess I can spend one summer away from him. And when we both return we'll fall in love with each other even more," I said, smiling at the thought.

"I hope I can find a boy who'll love me as much as Quique loves you. I'd have to go through a million guys before I can get as lucky as you."

"Ohh, that's not true, Eva. You're bright and bubbly and compassionate, and any guy would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend. You never know, someone in this school could be crushing on you right now," I told her.

"Maybe he'll finally be able to mellow her out. Opposites do attract... Raquél and Enriqué are living proof of that," Felicia smiled while nudging me.

Nodding silently, Eva shifted her glance towards the other side of the field, where Rosa and her cheerleader friends began to practice their tumbling.

"I can do that, you know," she said suddenly.

"A backflip?"

"Yeah, and all those other stunts they do. I used to do gymnastics until I moved to this school. If there was a gymnastics team here, I would've joined. But maybe I'll try out for the cheerleading squad next year."

"You should definitely try out! They'll have to pick you."

"Yeah, that's a great idea. Come on, show us what you can do," I suggested eagerly.

"What, _now?"_

"Yeah. Just one back handspring."

While slowly getting to her feet, my friend hesitantly brushed the grass off of her pants and glanced around. "In front of everyone? I guess I can."

"Watch this; she's amazing," Felicia told me.

We watched in curiosity as Eva backed up to get a running start. At that moment, the attention of the entire class seemed to turn to my best friend, and Rosa especially looked on with building interest. Eva resembled an Olympic athlete, focusing on the path of grass as if she were a predator stalking her prey. Her shoulders rose and fell with a deep intake of breath, and she began her sprint.

My mouth dropped in shock once she completed a powerful round-off followed by a back handspring, a full double twist and a back tuck. If the decision was up to me, I would think that she had the skills of an elite cheerleader.

"That was great, Eva! I just asked for one handspring; I didn't expect you to do all of that," I said to her, clapping as she simply returned to her spot beside me.

"Thank you, Raquél. So you guys really think I should try out for Cheerleading?"

"Of course! You're not going to cheerleading camp for the hell of it; you're going to improve your skills."

Just then, I found myself belting a loud shriek as I felt a pair of hands grip my sides. When I spun around my boyfriend was there, smiling down at me.

"What did I tell you about that, Quique? You scared me!" I panted.

He chuckled and cowered once I raised my hand to slap him on the arm, but I quickly brought it back as I noticed that his bare upper body was drenched in sweat.

"Eww, you're all sweaty. Get away from me!"

"What? I thought you liked my sweat. If you love me, you've gotta love my sweat, right, baby?" he replied playfully.

Another squeal arose as Enriqué proceeded to wrap his arms around me, and I quickly squirmed out of his grip and jumped to my feet.

"Gross! Now I'm going to smell like Axe and mud for the rest of the day."

I was not really mad at my boyfriend, but was stunned after observing the body that never failed to leave me flustered.

"Like what you see?" he murmured huskily.

"Of course I do."

His fingers intertwined with mine, and I giggled as he placed them behind my back before kissing me.

"I love you."

"I love you more, Sweetheart."

"All right you two, quit groping each other before coach sees you. We don't want you to ruin your plans for this afternoon, do we?" Felicia said while trying to separate us.

Instead, Enriqué lifted me off of the ground and ran away from his cousin, carrying me across the field.

"You have to catch us first!"

_Impossible_, I thought. _Nothing can possibly ruin this day for me._

However the next few hours played out, I was sure that it would be no more inconvenient than a paper cut.

**~RMCR~**

**10:45**

After my third period class had ended, I decided to stop by the daycare center before heading to Study Hall. The first lunch rush left the corridors deserted, and I enjoyed the time I had to myself by texting my boyfriend, who had already made it to class.

_'Going 2 see my babies. I'll be there soon.' _

_'Ok. Take your time baby ;)' _was his reply.

Knowing that I had siblings who attended the daycare across the street, my principal granted me permission to leave school whenever it was necessary. Katy was eagerly waiting for me at the front desk once I'd made it inside.

"Hey there, Sweetie! I'm so glad you could come. Your brother and sister are gonna be _so_ excited to see you," she said after pulling me into a hug.

"Thanks for not telling them. I love surprising them."

"Great. You're right on schedule for their lunchtime."

I found A'sharía toddling around the play area with her favorite doll, and she quickly spotted me as I slipped through the doors.

"Mama!" she squealed while running towards me.

"Ohh, my sweetpea! I missed you so much. Guess what? I'm staying for lunch!"

Without a word, my sister clapped her hands together and leaned in for a kiss.

"They still think that you're their mother? They're two," Katy said.

"I can't get them to stop, but they do know who their real mother is. It's just a comfort thing."

"That must explain why they rejected their pacifiers early."

"I guess so," I laughed.

For the next forty-five minutes, I spent the first half of the lunch period feeding my siblings with Katy and talking. Then at 11:45, I reluctantly said my goodbyes and hurried back across the street to meet my friends for lunch.

Since the cafeteria was located on level ground, I decided that it would be convenient for me to pass through the first-floor corridor that led there. The place was quiet and eerie, mostly because it was the last section of the school that was going through renovations.

I continued to send more messages to Enriqué so that he wouldn't worry.

_'It's way creepy down here! But I'll see U soon... I love you,__' _was the following text I sent to my boyfriend.

Although I wasn't much of a paranoid person, I couldn't ignore the sudden awful feeling of dread that overtook me, and I was compelled to quicken my steps.

Hoping to dispel my thoughts of the building nerves, I made a turn towards the staircase to go to the second floor.

I didn't make it.

Without warning, my breaths were cut off as a large palm clamped over my mouth. Before I could attempt to make a getaway, my body was hurled to the floor and I was dragged by my curls toward a dark, abandoned closet that lay hidden in a corner.

"Somebody, help! Help me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when the hand left my lips.

That was when a harsh slap sent me reeling back to the floor in pain. My fears were soon confirmed once I recognized Carlos's voice, which was angry with hunger.

As I dared to take in my surroundings, I began to feel sick upon finding Mike, Derek, Sean and Ricky waiting. One of them had a video camera at the ready.

I decided to shriek even louder in hopes that anyone could rescue me. Instead, I was silenced again with an even worse slap.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch! No one can hear you, so do what we say and I won't beat you."

"Yeah, relax. All we wanna do is have our fun with you, baby. I'm sure this isn't your first gangbang," Mike said while tugging at the hem of my skirt.

"Don't touch me! This isn't funny! Leave me alone!"

"Why? So you can run to your precious Sanchez and hide? Well, too fucking bad! He can't save your ass now."

Suddenly, the boys pounced like wild animals and pinned me against the floor. As I felt my clothes being torn from my body, I couldn't help but let a frightened sob escape my lips. They were going to rape me, and I was not going to leave until each had their turn.

Eager to have his way with me first, Carlos attached his lips to my neck. He deliberately sucked and chewed on my skin, branding me as if I belonged to him.

"You're mine now, Angel. I haven't stopped thinking about your sexy little body ever since I tapped that," he chuckled before forcing his tongue into my mouth.

The repulsive taste was a combination of cigarettes and coffee, which forced me to fight for my dignity.

Refusing to be taken advantage of, I hugged my knees tightly against my chest and kicked at him from the floor. But as much as I fought to keep him from removing my bra, he still managed to slip his fingers beneath the straps and pried the garment from my grip.

My hopes of defending myself were quickly diminishing, so I began to plead for my freedom instead.

"Please don't rape me," I begged tearfully.

My tactic must have opened a guilty conscience, because Mike immediately felt remorse for taking part in the assault.

"Yo, Carlos. I-I don't know if this is a good idea anymore. What if someone notices she's gone—?"

"Are you chickening out, man? Don't be a faggot. No one will miss the slut."

Pain raced across my scalp as he yanked my curls back, causing me to scream again.

"Come on, hurry up! You're not going to get your piece if you keep stalling. Get the rope," he demanded.

Reluctantly, Mike rummaged through the pocket of his sweatpants.

I kept my arms crossed tightly across my breasts, but Carlos quickly exposed me to everyone once he forced my arms behind my back. Like a swarm of flies to food, the boys began to execute their eager assault on my chest.

The camera was thrust into my face, and Sean let out a bone-chilling laugh as he replied, "Smile, Superstar."

To them I wasn't a person anymore, but a piece of meat that they were just going to devour to satisfy their sick hunger. I assumed that they were going to violate me over and over, and make me do humiliating things until I became reduced to a worn, crumpled heap.

It was evident that my tormentors were simply not going to remove my last undergarment, and instead they wanted to degrade me as much as they could by forcing me to remove it myself.

"Before we tie you up, I want you to strip this one off for us. Do it now," Mike demanded darkly, no longer regretful.

My chest heaving with sobs, I shook my head in protest, only to receive another onslaught of slaps.

"Take off the damn panties now!" Carlos yelled.

Before I could protest again, he decided to do it himself. While pulling his jean zipper down, he wrapped his palm around my neck and threw me against the wall. The impact almost knocked me unconscious, and I was left trapped with nowhere to go.

Just when I thought that he would remove my last shed of dignity, the closet door burst open and my boyfriend appeared like a raging bull.

He immediately tackled Carlos and began to throw powerful, relentless blows down on his body, inflicting more pain on him than he did on me. As I watched Enriqué vent his deepest emotions on each Superior, it was like he was someone else, someone I'd never met before. His eyes were black with a thirst for vengeance, and the thick veins in his arms bulged with the rush of his adrenaline-fueled blood.

For the first time, I was afraid of Enriqué.

While I rushed to get my torn clothes back on, he turned his attention towards Sean and knocked the camera from his hand before beating him to the floor. I knew that if Carlos were to get in his path again, my boyfriend would've finished him right then and there. I didn't want him to kill over me.

The boys must have read my mind, because they all scrambled and hobbled away once they had the chance.

"You've gone too fucking far this time! I should've killed you for hurting her!" he bellowed at their backs.

As much as I wanted to think that it was over, the sudden realization of what had occurred left me unable to recover.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

Nothing would have brought me more satisfaction than snapping Carlos's neck for hurting my girlfriend. But this wasn't about him. I'd come to save Raquél from a lifetime of pain, trauma and shame.

My heart ached as I turned my attention to the broken girl, who remained curled up in a ball in the far corner, sobbing. She was left in nothing but her underwear, and her exposed back and legs were covered in bruises. She trembled violently as if she was cold.

The sight caused tears to build in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away in hopes of remaining strong for her.

"Sweetheart," I called softly, which caused her to flinch.

As I stepped closer to offer her my jacket, she scooted closer to the wall, whimpering in fear.

"No… please."

For her to think that I wanted to harm her like Carlos saddened me even more.

"I'm not going to hurt you, baby girl. Here, just take my jacket."

Ashamed to even glance at me, Raquél kept her back towards me and hid her face between her palms before sobbing again. Without hesitation, I draped the jacket over her shoulders, pulled the zipper up and lifted her into my arms. Immediately, her palms wound tightly around my shirt as she rest her head in the crook of my neck.

Soon, my cousins arrived and gasped once they discovered the aftermath of the attack.

"Oh my God! What happened?" Felicia questioned.

"I just knew something was wrong. That jerk Carlos and his friends tried to rape her. But I got here right in time to stop them."

"Should we take her to the nurse in the meantime? Raquél's too traumatized to stay in school," Eva said.

While wiping her tears away, I kissed her forehead and asked, "Do you want to go to the nurse? We can call your mom and get you dismissed..."

"N-no, don't tell her. Don't tell anyone," she hiccupped, pulling me closer.

"Raquél, Sweetheart, we have to. You'll never feel secure unless we tell someone about it. What good will it do if you just let them get away with it?"

Knowing that she would not feel better if she hesitated to report the attempted rape, she reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Okay, then. Let's go upstairs so you can lie down."

"I'll get the principal and tell him to call the police," Felicia said before rushing down the corridor.

Meanwhile, Eva dug through her gym bag and pulled out a pair of sweatpants for Raquél to wear. Once she was fully dressed, I carried her to the second floor towards the nurse's office.

My cousin must have gotten to the main office in record time, because the principal soon came over the loudspeaker to announce that the school was going into lock down and no one was allowed to leave.

Once my girlfriend had the chance to rest in the patient room, Eva and I remained in the office so that the nurse could check on her injuries. The only challenge I had left to conquer was the difficult task of calling her mother and telling her what had occurred.

My stomach churned as Gabriella picked up the other line with a cheerful tone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Gabriella, this is Enriqué."

"Oh, hey, honey! How are you doing?"

"I'm great. But..." I trailed off hesitantly.

Now I'd given her a reason to become concerned.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" she questioned in slight panic.

"Something did happen, but don't worry. Raquél is fine and the police are on their way."

Not another second had passed before the line clicked off, and I was left listening to a dial tone.

After a while, the police arrived and conducted a search throughout the building for Carlos and his friends. The paramedics also arrived to give Raquél proper medical treatment, but I knew that she'd quickly grown uncomfortable by all the attention.

As I had expected, the nurse returned and told me that my girlfriend wanted me at her side while a female officer questioned her. I was not questioned yet.

"How many boys did you say there was?"

"Five," she replied meekly.

"If it's not too difficult for you to recall, tell me how it started."

Silently, Raquél gave me a fleeting glance and tightened her grip on my hand.

"Well, I spent the first half of my lunch period at the daycare across the street. I went to see my brother and sister from maybe 10:50 to 11:45, and I came back to have lunch with my friends. Normally I wouldn't walk alone in empty hallways, but it made more sense to go straight to the cafeteria instead of going up and down the stairs again. I was texting Enriqué to let him know that I was going to be there in a few minutes, but I just got this bad feeling, like someone was following me."

"So what did you do then?" the woman asked.

"I felt a little unsafe, so I turned a corner to use the stairs but... they came out of nowhere and dragged me into the closet," she replied as fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Just then, the door burst open and in walked Raquél's mother, who was shocked by her daughter's appearance.

"Oh, my God! What happened? They're all these police cars outside and they're searching the place."

Immediately, Raquél jumped to her feet and ran into her mother's arms.

"They tried to hurt me, Mami. I'm so embarrassed," she sobbed.

"Who hurt you?"

"If I may intervene, Ma'am, my name is Noreen Baker and I'm with the NYPD. We were notified after one of her friends called to report an attempted rape. Your daughter says that a group of five boys took her into a closet, but Mr. Sanchez was able to stop them. We're still looking for the suspects but right now, I'm in the middle of questioning."

"Oh-no, my baby. Why can't these people just leave you alone? Look at you! You're covered in cuts and bruises. Wait until I get my hands on them," Gabriella fumed. "And Enriqué. Thank you so much for your help. If you hadn't realized that something was wrong, I just... Thank you and the girls."

As she pulled me into a tight embrace, the officer continued her questioning, which unfortunately grew more detailed with each passing moment.

"Now, would you mind telling me what happened once they had you in the closet?"

Unprepared to listen to the graphic interpretation, Gabriella sighed and placed her head between her palms.

"Carlos kept hitting me and pulling my hair and telling me to shut up. He even kissed me a few times… They told me that they were all planning to, um, h-have a turn with me. One of them even had a video camera. First they took off all my clothes except for my underwear, and they started touching me," Raquél replied uneasily.

"Would you mind pointing where?"

Without a word, she motioned her hand near her concealed chest, which indisputably angered me.

"Your breasts only?"

As my girlfriend nodded, her mother broke into sobs beside me.

"Yeah, and then Carlos told me to remove my underwear, and I said 'no' twice but he just hit me more. Then he got impatient and grabbed my neck and threw me against the wall. He was going to take them off himself but that was when Quique came and beat them up. My screaming must've been loud enough from the hallway, so that's probably how he found me."

Even my cousins shed a few tears listening to the traumatic story. The officer reached across the table and placed her hand over Raquél's.

"Thank you for telling me. I can assure you that justice will be swift once we find these boys. They won't be able to hurt you anymore," she replied softly before turning her attention to me.

I froze. Something must have tipped her off.

Was it the fact that I looked too mature to be her boyfriend, or that I used to be friends with Carlos's group?

"Mr. Sanchez, would you mind if I asked you a few questions in the office next door?"

Growing panicked, Raquél gripped my hand and said, "Why? He didn't do anything wrong; he would never try to hurt me."

"We know that he didn't do anything wrong. We just want to make sure that he can confirm his whereabouts at the time it happened."

The mask of worry had slightly begun to fade, but she leaned up on her toes to kiss me as if she was never going to see me again.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sweetheart. I'll be right back, okay?" I gently reassured her before following the woman out of the room.

As I was escorted into the bustling office outside, I felt the urge to throw up once I found one officer returning with evidence from the crime scene. It included a bundle of rope, a roll of tape, and smashed remnants of the video camera. That was when he let the female officer know that they had finally caught Carlos and his friends.

When I glanced out into the principal's office across the corridor, I found then removing even more items from the boys' pockets, which included a blindfold and a bottle of baby oil. Most of all, I was disturbed that they had no condoms. The thought of what they'd planned to do to my girlfriend not only caused me immense anger but plenty of distress.

She had been a few seconds away from being violated and humiliated like the girl I had seen in Cuba, and I wouldn't have been able to take the pain away.

"So, Enriqué. You said that you and Ms. Richmond have been dating since late December, am I right?"

"Yes, Ma'am," I replied.

"It's also true that you were once associated with these boys until December, when you decided to avoid them. When you were still friends with them, was there ever a time when someone mentioned that he planned to sexually assault Raquél?"

Almost immediately, my thoughts scraped together memory of the afternoon Mike when revealed that he found her body arousing and shared the idea with the other boys.

"Well, one afternoon in November Mike, the one over there in the green, suggested that we all try to rape her when the opportunity arose. That was before everyone knew I was in love with her, so I started making up excuses to lure them away from the idea. A couple months ago, Raquél told me that they started harassing her about getting 'gangbanged', and I gave them a few warnings since then," I explained.

"And you never once reported it to the authorities?"

"Well, I didn't think that they were going to harm her if I stayed with her at all times. Raquél already knew to use crowded hallways and to text me whenever she was alone... But I guess we weren't careful enough."

Then came the question that I'd been dreading.

"How old are you, Mr. Sanchez?" she asked, seemingly curious.

"I-I'm 19."

"And your birthday?"

"I'll be 20 in two months. July, Ma'am," I replied, swallowing hard.

Up until that day, I never realized how much older I was than my girlfriend, and how much trouble I could be in with the law.

"Mr. Sanchez, I'm sure that you're aware that the age of consent in this state is 17, right?"

"Yes."

"And at your age, sexual intercourse with someone under 15 is considered a Class D Felony. That's rape in the second-degree. The maximum penalty for a crime like that can be up to seven_ years_ in prison..."

"Wait, whoa—it's not what you think. I know about the statutory rape laws but we've never had sex before; we just date. Believe me, the thought has hardly crossed my mind," I said.

"There's no need to panic, Mr. Sanchez. I just wanted to make sure that you knew about the consequences of underage sex. I noticed how affectionate you were to Ms. Richmond, and I just want you to know what can happen if you do decide to become intimate. It's best to wait until she is old enough."

As the officer gave my arm a gentle pat, I breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that I was not in trouble with her. Before I left to return to my girlfriend, the police officer let me go with one last word of approval.

"You did a great job intervening when it was necessary. Coming to your girlfriend's defense was the best thing you could have done... Take care of her. She's going to need as much support as possible. Have a nice day," she told me, smiling warmly.

"All right, you too."

As I spun around to head back to the nurse's quarters, Gabriella brushed past me in a rush, leaving me to wonder where she was going.

"I'd really love to stay but I've got to pick up the babies from next door and drop them off at my parents. So I'm putting my complete trust in you to get Raquél home safely. She might want you to stay with her for a while. Will you do that for me, Enriqué?"

"Of course I'll bring her home. Don't worry, she'll be fine with me."

"Oh, thank you _so_ much. You are a lifesaver. I'll see you guys later, okay?" she said, giving me a quick hug before dashing through the doors.

I found Raquél sitting at the edge of the blue patient table while my cousins gently spoke to her. She was no longer trembling or crying, but seemingly frustrated about the events of that afternoon.

"Are you ready to go home?" I asked her.

"I was ready thirty minutes ago... Yes, and I'm tired."

After saying her goodbyes to my cousins and the nurse, Raquél took my hand and we both headed for the exit. Meanwhile, Carlos and his friends were being escorted out of the building in handcuffs.

My girlfriend didn't dare look her tormentors in the eyes as we passed them in the school lobby, and she kept her gaze concentrated on the floor. The death grip she held on my lower back was a sure indication that she feared these boys even more.

But I wasn't. I unwaveringly exchanged long, stony glances with each boy, and sent my most threatening stare towards Carlos. He'd stolen her innocence and dignity once before, so why was he compelled to outdo the first time and do it again?

As much as I wanted to know that question, it would only cause me more pain and anger listening to the sick plots of his mind. He was never worth it.

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Afternoon**

I spent the next hour with Raquél at her house, listening to her silent sobs until she felt confident enough to speak. She finally lifted her head from my lap and gazed deep into my eyes.

"Promise you won't try to hurt me? Don't ever force me into sex... I'm still not ready, especially after today."

"Oh, Raquél. How could you think that I would try to hurt you like that? I will never try to force you into something that you're not comfortable with. I promise," I gently told her.

"I know that you're disappointed because you want to make love to me, but I'm not ready. I was so close to the idea but now it's just too far off again. I'm sorry that you have to wait so long, Enriqué... Just because I'm too scared."

Self-consciously, Raquél dropped her gaze to her hands as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Somehow, I couldn't help but think that I had a part in her anxiety. In truth I was ready to make love to her as long as she was ready. But since I'd revealed that I was ready months ago, she felt it was necessary to claim that she was ready just to satisfy me. Satisfaction was only temporary. I wanted our relationship to remain meaningful and gradual, without complicating it by doing something that we weren't ready for.

I had plans for our future together.

I used the pad of my thumb to wipe her tears and said, "It doesn't matter when I want to make love to you. When the time is right and we're both 100% ready, then we can take our relationship further."

"But I _was_ ready. Honestly!"

"No, you weren't. Don't do this for me, do it for yourself. Wait until your heart tells you to go ahead, but in the meantime I just want to enjoy life with you, all right? You should never rush into something you're not ready for... There's still so much we haven't learned about each other yet. I love you so much, Raquél. And I promise that I will never hurt you in any way."

"I love you, too, and I trust you... But why am I such a target? I'm always the victim. Why can't they just ignore me and leave me alone? It's not fair!" she wept.

"Well, that's because they know that they don't stand a chance against you. They know that you're going to succeed and they'll stop at nothing to gain control of your life. Look at you; you're intelligent, beautiful, gifted, compassionate... They only want to bring you down to their level to compensate for their shortcomings," I encouraged my girlfriend.

"Well, I'm sick of them. And to make things worse, Maya's still going to push me around even though her friends got arrested. I hope they get expelled for what they did."

Although I agreed that expulsion was going to be a great possibility, I was not certain that it was going to be added to their punishment after all the things Carlos and his friends got away with in the past.

"I hope so, too. They deserve whatever punishment that's coming to them. I want them to regret ever harming you." "And I deserve to feel safe," she said before shutting her eyes to take a nap.

At that moment, I swept her curls aside only to find the dark purple blemish on her neck that was left by Carlos. From then on I was determined to keep Raquél under my protection no matter what.

As I tightened my embrace around my dozing girlfriend, I leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead and nodded as if to confirm my promise.

"Don't worry. I'll always be here to keep you safe, Sweetheart... Always."

**So sweet! You know, except for the whole rape attempt, but otherwise I am very content with this chapter. This one was longer than usual because there was so much information I wanted to fit in here, and I hope it met your standards. Tell me what you think and I'll be back with another post! Thank you! :}**


	26. The One

**This chapter came out relatively quickly thanks to an idea from ****Fairyvixenmaiden****. Thanks so much for the help! I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy because this is where the story gets most interesting. Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 26: The One**

**Raquél**

Despite the incident that occurred earlier that day, it was a miracle that I was able to open up to Enriqué instead of reverting back to my old tendencies.

At home, I fell asleep in his arms without the slightest worry because I knew that I could still trust him. When a nightmare shook me out of my rest, I was relieved to open my eyes and find him glancing down at me in concern. He sat me up to wipe the sweat from my forehead and tipped a glass of water at my lips to keep me hydrated. I loved the way he cared for me.

Eventually, we settled into watching television while talking about anything that came to our minds. Except for the assault. There was a reason I wanted to avoid talking about it at all costs.

I became curious once he suddenly reached for a letter on the coffee table.

"I found this at the top of the mail pile. It's from MIT... Must be important," he said.

"MIT? It's probably just another brochure," I murmured while tearing the envelope open. "'Dear Ms. Richmond, because of your outstanding achievements, exceptional Grade Point Average and immaculate SAT scores, we have decided to offer you a full scholarship to attend our academy starting this fall.'"

"Wow! Accepted into MIT at 14. That's amazing, Sweetheart!" my boyfriend praised before kissing my forehead.

On the other hand, I was terrified. I was not ready to attend college, especially at such a young age. If I could hardly keep my nerves steady around people my own age, there was no way that I'd be able to face college students. Yet again, I was going to let my fears and insecurities make the decision for me.

"I never applied to MIT."

"A teacher or the principal could've recommended you. But, Sweetheart, this is a great opportunity for you to take. This letter is proof that you are destined to succeed."

"But I don't want to go to college now. I'm not even out of 9th grade yet—it's too soon," I replied in almost a whine.

Enriqué's forehead wrinkled in confusion as I crumpled the letter into a ball.

"Raquél, what are you doing?" he asked in shock.

"Look at me! I am _far _from ready. Why should I miss out on my whole high school experience and not graduate with a diploma like everyone else?"

"Because this is a chance that anyone would be grateful to have, and it's not going to benefit you if you keep taking one step forward and two steps back. You can accomplish anything. Why are you so embarrassed by your gifts?"

"I'm not embarrassed. It's just that I'd rather take my time... And what does 'two steps back' supposed to mean?" I questioned, on the verge of losing my patience.

"I can't count how many times the AP teachers have pleaded with you to take their advanced classes, but instead, you decided to stay in classes that you've kept straight A's in since the beginning of the year. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Do it for yourself, not them."

This was the same lecture I'd received by my mother many times before. She always told me that the only person holding myself back was me and that I was only setting myself up for disappointment. I was fully aware of that, but I never expected my boyfriend to become her echo.

"Oh, my God. You too?" I sighed. "I get it, Enriqué. But all my life I've been everyone's little miracle; their last hope. Just because I'm smart they expect me to go to college at 14 or build a spaceship for God's sake! Why do they all depend on me to make them happy?"

"It's not that anyone depends on you to succeed for them. The fact is, ten or fifteen years from now you could be wallowing in regret for not living up to your full potential. Your family just wants the best for you... And I want to see you happy," Enriqué said gently.

"I know you do. All I'm asking is for everyone to stop putting me under so much pressure on me. I'm just a kid—there's only so much I can take," I said.

Letting out a sigh, my boyfriend pulled me onto his lap and gave me a peck on the forehead.

"All right. What's this really about, Sweetheart?"

He knew me too well. That was when I broke down in tears.

"They tried to hurt me! I was almost... they hit me and touched..."

In the time it took for the trauma to come rushing back, I was already struggling to express my feelings.

"You don't have to talk about it if it's too painful I understand that it left you traumatized."

"I know that they didn't get any further, but I still feel violated. You saw what they did to me," I hiccupped.

"I did... And it broke my heart."

When I looked into my boyfriend's eyes, I was surprised to find them glazed over with tears. It was the first time I had ever seen Enriqué become so emotional. At that moment, the tables had definitely turned.

"You're crying. Why?"

Silently he lifted my shirt and gingerly traced his thumb across the large bruise on my back, which caused me to wince slightly.

"Look what they did to you. You're so small and vulnerable compared to them. Earlier I heard you say that Carlos pushed you against the wall... I mean, what if your head hit instead of your back? I don't want to lose you, Raquél; you're too precious to me. I love you."

Before that evening, I never realized just how much Enriqué cared for me. It was touching that he was deeply concerned for my safety, yet he never looked so scared in his life.

_"¿Tienes miedo?"_

"I'm very scared."

"It's okay to be scared. You don't have to be tough for me all the time. I'm glad that you're not hiding your emotions from me," I whispered while wiping his tears away.

"I do? It doesn't bother you if I cry?"

"Of course not, Enriqué. You're a strong, determined person who doesn't have to announce how much he cares about me. It just shows that you love me with all your heart. I love you so much... You saved my life today."

"I love you, too, Raquél. My life is now perfect because of you."

Not another moment had passed before Enriqué captured my lips in a passionate kiss, washing away every fear and worry I had about that day. There was no doubt that he was the One. I decided that it wasn't going to remain fair if I continued to let my boyfriend fight my battles for me. It was about time I fought for myself.

"What do you think of me taking a self-defense class?" I asked him as I relaxed in his arms.

"That's a great idea, Sweetheart. I'd like to see you roundhouse kick some creep's ass once you get through with the class."

"Sure, but only when it's necessary."

As we shared a quiet laugh, my mind wandered back to the college letter. Academically, I was indeed ready for college, but at the same time my heart urged me to do what I felt was right. For my second year of high school I was going to challenge myself.

"Enriqué?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I'm going to take all AP classes next year... I know that college seems like the better option, but it won't feel right going this early. I just feel better listening to my heart," I said.

"I'm proud of you, Raquél. You're finally starting to stand up for yourself."

Perhaps my prediction from that morning was right. Nothing had ruined my day after all.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

On Saturday Raquél and I decided to drive down to the local YMCA so that she could attend her first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. As eager as I was to watch her learn how to protect herself, my mind was elsewhere.

Before I left my house that morning, I'd been informed by my parents that I was going to be spending the summer in Miami with my older cousins. I only had a week left to spend with her. I didn't want to tell my girlfriend that morning because I didn't want to spoil her day. So I decided on telling her after her _Quinceañera_ dress fitting later in the afternoon.

"I'm kind of nervous. What if I look awkward doing the moves?" she asked me anxiously.

"You won't. Just relax and have fun. I'll be watching right from the corner."

Managing a smile, Raquél leaned over to peck my cheek and said, "Thanks for taking me."

"No problem, baby. I want to support you no matter what," I said.

Once we had arrived at the center, we entered the building before searching for the fitness rooms. To my girlfriend's relief, the attendees had been separated into junior and senior classes based on age, her group being arranged from 13 to 17 years old. The female instructor greeted us with an inviting smile as we stepped into the room.

Raquél's SAD symptoms threatened to kick in being faced with so many people whom she'd never met. At the door, I found myself having to tear her hands away from the knob as she held on for dear life. Her disorder seemed to leave her crippled with fear at times, but I always let her know that I was never going to leave her side.

"Go ahead and get on the mat with the others. I'll sit where you can see me, okay?" I gently encouraged her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Okay, Enriqué."

Reluctantly, my girlfriend made her way onto the platform with the other girls and nervously glanced back at me. Without a word, I pointed my finger at the instructor hoping to direct her focus away from me. She grinned cutely and blew a kiss to me.

"Good morning, ladies. How are we today?"

As expected, the class broke out in cheers, eager to get started.

"Great! I'm Kathy, and I'll be your Jiu Jitsu instructor for the next two months. As you can see there are plenty of you in attendance, so we should have enough to form partner groups when we actually start practice matches."

That was when a second woman strolled into the room and stepped beside Kathy.

"This is Aubree, our head counselor here at the YMCA. Aubree, why don't you tell these girls why you're here?"

"Hey, girls. I'll be here whenever we meet, and basically if you need someone to confide in or talk about anything, please stop by my office. It's right down the hallway and my doors are always open," the woman said with a warm smile.

"All right, thank you, Aubree. Now, I suppose many of you are here today because you want to protect yourself. Personally, I've been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a sport for fifteen years until last March. I decided to utilize Jiu Jitsu as a self-defense method after my sister was attacked by an intruder in her own home. I know that you all have your own, different stories of what caused you to join this class, but trust me, the pain and trauma is all the same. We have to support each other and remain determined to protect ourselves no matter what. I want you to think of the next girl as your best friend or Sorority Sister, okay?"

"Okay," a few girls replied, chuckling.

"So let's jump right into it. Now, the first thing you should know about Jiu Jitsu is that it requires minimal strength, which is great for anyone that is short in stature or size. That way, you can easily defend yourself against a much bigger, stronger person using leverage and proper technique with joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat your opponent. Let's start by stretching. It's very important that you stretch before any strenuous activity because you don't want to end up with any sore muscles. Make sure that your joints and muscles are relaxed."

The class was then instructed to follow Kathy as she began the first set of warm-ups. I knew that Raquél would have no problem stretching because of her love of yoga. She especially loved her hobby, which kept her relaxed and stress-free at the end of the day. Now I was starting to get hooked after she convinced me to join her one afternoon.

Of course, I was not able to contort myself the way she could but I still enjoyed taking an occasional break from my hectic football schedule.

Eventually as Raquél grew more comfortable learning the basics, I remained positive that by the time I returned from Florida, my girlfriend would be able to protect herself whenever it was necessary.

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Afternoon**

"I'm so excited to show you guys my dress!" Raquél squealed as we patiently waited in the small lobby of a dress boutique.

Besides her mother and siblings, my cousins were also eager to see her _Quinceañera _dress.

"All I can say is that my daughter looks stunning. Brace yourself, Enriqué," Gabriella chuckled.

A few minutes later, an older woman emerged from the fitting room with a friendly smile.

"Raquél! _¿Cómo estás, Querida?_ It's been a while since I've seen you and your mother. And Gabriella, you look so radiant," she greeted them while giving out hugs and kisses.

"Thank you, Dolores. We're doing great."

"I'm glad to hear that..."

That was when she turned to me and my cousins.

_"Pues, buenos tardes, jóvenes. ¿Cuáles son tus nombres?" _she asked us.

_"__Buenas tardes_, _Señora._ I'm Enriqué, and these are my cousins Felicia and Eva," I replied.

Dolores immediately noticed me and my girlfriend's intertwined fingers.

Quietly, she nudged Raquél with a teasing grin and murmured, _"Él es tu_ _novio, ¿verdad_ (he is your boyfriend, right)? I suppose this man hasn't proposed to you yet. But, I'm sure he will soon."

Mortified, Raquél glanced at her mother in distress as a shade of pink crept onto her cheeks.

"Mami?"

"She's joking, baby. Come on, I'll help you get into the dress. _Ponte detrás de la cortina."_

Once they disappeared around the corner, Felicia and Eva stared at me with silent grins. No longer dwelling on the awkward situation, we watched Raquél's siblings while their mother was gone. I couldn't deny that the thought had crossed my mind on more than one occasion, and I was positive that she would become my wife one day.

But there was no doubt that we would both have to wait until we were mature and experienced enough to take on a lifelong commitment like marriage. The possibility of spending the rest of my life with Raquél gave me all the more reason to look forward to my future.

Gabriella soon emerged from the fitting room beaming with excitement.

"We put on the whole ensemble, and she looks _perfect!"_

Poking her head through the curtain, Raquél glanced out nervously.

"Are you guys ready?"

"Ready," my cousins and I replied.

"Okay... But close your eyes first."

Obediently, we used our palms to cover our eyes, hoping to conserve the element of surprise. After listening to the brief shuffle of her dress, we were finally given permission to look.

What I found immediately changed my perspective of Raquél.

Adorned in a royal blue gown and a pair of elbow-length gloves, my girlfriend stood on the pedestal looking more beautiful than she'd ever been. I didn't think that it was possible, and the radiant sight left me breathless. Completing the outfit, Dolores nestled a diamond tiara into her curls.

She looked like a bride.

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Timidly, Raquél glanced at me as her hands began to fidget.

"Enriqué... How do I look?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

Without a word, I slowly got to my feet and approached the anxious girl. At that moment, I made a decision of what I wanted to do with my life after summer vacation. Now that my love for her had escalated even more, I wanted to make the most significant promise I had ever made to anyone.

"Wow... You're beautiful. I-I'm just speechless," I said to her, grasping her palms.

The very fabric of time seemed to come to a standstill as our lips met with a gentle kiss. Raquél's emerald gaze pierced right through me, showing me the reassurance she had earned from my affection.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Raquél."

She was the One. This was the girl I wanted to make my wife in a few years, and I was going to stick to that promise no matter what or who tried to come between us.

With the last dress fitting over with, I decided that waiting any more to tell my girlfriend about my summer plans was just going to cause her more disappointment.

Once we'd made it back to her house, I took Raquél into her room where we would have the most privacy.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" she asked casually.

"Your mom, she _did_ say that you were all going to Puerto Rico in two weeks, right?"

"Yes, but we're not spending the whole summer there. Just a few weeks."

"Basically, after those couple of weeks you'll be spending the rest of the summer here?" I stalled, hoping to buy time.

But she quickly caught on.

"Is there something you're not telling me? You look so anxious all of a sudden."

"Actually, there is. Since my parents are going to be busy for the next two months, they're sending me to Miami to stay with my cousins. I'm supposed to spend the entire summer there," I admitted reluctantly.

Slightly disappointed, Raquél nodded in understanding and sighed.

"I guess two months away from you won't be so bad... It's not like you'll be gone forever," she said almost robotically.

She was upset and I knew it. Her eyes dropped to the floor before a stream of tears began to develop.

"It's okay to be upset. Don't hide it."

She shook her head as I wiped a tear from beneath her eyes.

"I just don't want to make you feel guilty. If your parents want to send you to Miami, then I should respect their choice and deal with it."

"Trust me, I don't want to leave you either. But think about it: we'll be even closer when I come back... I can't even imagine being away from you for a day much less the whole summer," I said.

"Then how did you survive before meeting me?"

"All I had was hope. I hoped that I'd have the opportunity to meet someone who would fill the holes in my heart. And that someone is you."

Touched by my words, Raquél wrapped her arms around my neck and pecked my cheek.

"I'll miss you, Enriqué," she murmured.

"I'm really going to miss you. I'm going to miss looking into those stunning green eyes, touching these long brown curls; feeling your soft skin—I'll especially miss hearing your cute laugh."

Involuntarily, she released a giggle before clapping her hand over her mouth.

"That was totally an accident..." she said before shrugging. "It sucks that I won't be there for your birthday. Are you excited to be turning 20?"

Gazing lovingly into my girlfriend's eyes, I pulled her close and locked my arms around her.

"Sure. Now that I'm more mature than I've ever been, I'm definitely sure of what I want."

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Two days before Enriqué was supposed to go to Miami, he came to my house that morning with an announcement that nearly gave me a coronary.

"I want to meet your father."

"You what?" I hissed in shock.

"I want to meet him. Today."

There was a good chance that he never realized how my father reacted when he saw me kissing Enriqué in his car a few months ago. Andre had no more conflict with my stepdad Troy, but I wasn't sure if he would warm up to my boyfriend as quickly as I hoped.

"Why so suddenly? We don't have to rush these things. W-What if he's busy?" I stammered, failing at my attempt to convince him otherwise.

"No, Sweetheart. It's been almost six months. I need to meet him and let him know how well I'm taking care of his daughter."

"Do it. I think that's a wonderful idea. Call him right now, Raquél," my mother chimed in.

Troy also glanced up and nodded in approval. Knowing that I was not going to win this battle, I reluctantly picked up the phone to call my father.

_Better late than never,_ I thought.

As I listened to the trill of the line, I wondered why Enriqué was so eager to meet my father on such short notice. Somehow, I believed that he wanted to earn my father's blessing to date me.

"Hello?" my father's girlfriend, Toniya answered.

"Hi, Toni. This is Raquél."

"Hey, Princess! How's everyone doing?"

"We're doing great... So, is Dad there?" I asked nervously.

"Of course he is. Do you want to speak to him?"

"Yes."

"All right, hon'. One second."

In the background I heard Toniya calling for my father, who didn't seem to be busy at all.

"What's up, Babycakes? Toniya said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, she did. You're not going to be busy this morning, are you?" I hesitated.

"I'm completely free today. If you want to come over, it's no problem at all. I can pick you up if you want..."

"No, that's okay. I already have a ride... M-my boyfriend is bringing me. He wants to meet you," I replied uneasily.

For a moment, I was left listening to the sound of his still, anxious breaths over the phone. The tense silence caused my heart to race with panic.

"Papi?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's fine. Bring him over," he finally said, as if he had snapped out of a trance.

"Okay, great! We'll be over in a half hour or so. See you then, Daddy. I love you," I said.

"I love you, too, Raquél."

Once the line clicked off, I spun around to find everyone waiting to hear my answer.

"Well?" my mother asked.

"He said that it was fine, but I'm not sure if he's doing it because he wants to or he thinks he has to. Papi sounded pretty unsure."

"All the more reason to go over there and show him how much I love you," Enriqué replied cleverly as he planted a kiss on my forehead.

The adults smiled at his affection as he guided me towards the front door.

"Come on; let's go now before you get any more second thoughts."

"You're right, but please, promise me one thing..." I said while tugging him back.

"Anything."

"Even if he doesn't like you, promise that you won't try to prove yourself."

"Promise that I won't? I don't understand."

"There's no need to prove to him how much you love me. I know that you love me. Everything you've done for me—the way you make me feel—is all the proof you'll ever need," I said.

His eyes showed no trace of indecision or uncertainty. It was touching to realize how much faith Enriqué had in me, and I was no longer worried about my father's opinion of him.

"I promise."

He was a man who stayed true to his promises, just like I'd always dreamt.

**~RMCR~**

By the time my boyfriend and I had arrived at my father's apartment, my calm and collected demeanor had faded away and spiraled into a nerve-wracking panic attack. Enriqué had to resort to throwing me over his shoulders to get me out of the car, occasionally wincing at the death grip I held on his arm. The air seemed to be hot and stifling, and my body trembled with distress. I couldn't think straight as he tried his best to calm me down.

"Breathe, Raquél. Now you're making me nervous. You won't feel any less nervous if you let these episodes get the better of you."

_"Yo sé, Enriqué. Estoy haciendo mi mejor esfuerzo, pero..._ Oh God, I can't help it! M-my palms are sweaty a-and, and I'm hyperventilating—!"

"Raquél!" Enriqué nearly shouted, which quickly stopped my bout in its tracks.

Gently, he placed his hands on each side of my shoulders and gazed into my eyes.

"Everything will be fine, Sweetheart. Just trust me on this."

Remarkably, his tactic seemed to work to my advantage even as he encouraged me to ring the doorbell. The firm grip he held on my hand never grew limp.

Once the door swung open, I was slightly relieved to find my step mother standing at the door with my baby sister.

"Raquél! It's so nice to see you again," she said cheerfully, and opened her arms to accept a hug.

"It feels like forever since I last saw you. A'aliyah's gotten so big!"

As I reached out to take the baby, Toniya glanced behind my back at Enriqué and smiled.

"Hello. What's your name?"

"My name is Enriqué. It's nice to meet you."

"Well, I'm Toniya. Raquél's step mom. She's told me a lot about you," she said, giving me a playful nudge.

It was a relatively good start, a lot better than I had expected. But my father had yet to meet my boyfriend, and I never knew how he would react considering the significant age gap between us.

"So, um, where's Daddy?" I asked while fighting off an oncoming meltdown.

"He's reading to Tiffani now, but I'll let him know you guys are here. I'll be right back."

Once she disappeared into the hallway, Enriqué and I took our place on the couch and waited patiently. At that moment, I wouldn't have minded waiting for the rest of the day if it meant avoiding an imminent catastrophe. But I knew that my father would have to be introduced to my boyfriend sooner or later, and as much as I wanted to deny it, that day was the best day to do it.

As Andre entered the living room, his features were unreadable. I couldn't imagine the kind of thoughts that were running through his mind seeing his 14 year old daughter hold hands with a nearly 20 year old man. Was it heartbreak? Disappointment? Fear? Whatever emotion it was, I knew that he would have a hard time adjusting to Enriqué.

Getting to my feet, I stepped forward in hopes of introducing my boyfriend properly.

"Papi... This is Enriqué Sanchez. My boyfriend," I began quietly.

Enriqué was the first to extend his palm towards my father and greeted him with a firm handshake.

"Pleased to meet you, sir."

"You as well, young man. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" my father asked, seemingly curious about Enriqué's reasons for dating me.

Knowing that the "few questions" he had for my boyfriend would probably take some time, Toniya and I sat back to observe their interaction.

"My daughter has told me about you sometimes, and to be honest when I first found out about your age, I was very uncomfortable. She seems to be extremely happy with you, but just in case, how do I know that you won't end up breaking her heart?"

"Well, that's easy. I love Raquél. She's smart and beautiful and strong; everything I could ever want in a girlfriend and more. I know it doesn't seem like much hearing it in my own words. But if you could see the heart I see in her or feel this unexplainable passion I feel for her, then you'd understand why I would do anything for her. She makes me happy, and that's all I've ever wanted out of life. And I'll never hurt her because she deserves so much more than me."

Seemingly impressed with Enriqué's first reply, my father nodded, but then he asked the question that tested my boyfriend's genuine virtue.

"You're so young. What do you know about love?" he challenged.

"To be honest, sir... nothing. But isn't love supposed to be one of the greatest mysteries of life? Something that can never be put into words? It doesn't come with a manual or instructions, so we might as well try our best. If we make it to the end, then we'd know that our love was true. And to me, Raquél is everything that makes life worth living."

Having made his point, Enriqué grasped my hand once again and sent me a reassuring smile. On the other hand, I was ready to burst into tears.

"I love you," I mouthed to him, which hadn't gone by unnoticed by my father.

"Raquél, why do you love this boy so much?"

"You'd be amazed to know how such a compassionate, dedicated person can make you feel so treasured and important. He makes me feel so safe and happy, and when we're together it's like I've got all the confidence in the world. Papi, I love feeling confident. Enriqué is the reason I haven't given up on anything, especially myself. My heart just races and I get goosebumps... I love this man so much," I explained, tears streaming down my cheeks.

No longer did my father have any worries about Enriqué. He could see that I was truly happy, and it was enough for him to accept my boyfriend.

"Well, Enriqué, you have my blessing," he smiled while reaching out to shake hands a second time. "Take care of my daughter, all right? There's no one else in the world like her, so don't let her go."

"I'll never her let go. I promise, Mr. Richmond."

"Please, call me Andre."

Elated, I jumped up from my seat and engulfed my father in a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much, Daddy! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"As long as you're happy, Princess. This boy looks like he'd take a bullet for you, so I'm not worried at all," he murmured in my ear before pressing a kiss to my temple.

Now that Enriqué was well acquainted with my father, I sensed that not too far into the future, he would ask for his blessing for something much more significant. Spending the summer away from him was going to be a tough, yet valuable lesson to learn from.

If it was possible, we'd become closer than ever before.

**Thanks for reading! P.S., I won't reveal the Quinceañera dress in my profile until the actual event, which are a few chapters away. Please review! :)**


	27. Thinking Ahead

**Hey guys I'm back. I hoped you liked the last chapter! Well, here's Chapter 27, I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Chapter 27: Thinking Ahead**

**Enriqué**

**Two Days Later**

Not much longer after my flight had left the terminal, I'd begun to miss my Sweetheart.

As much as I tried to fight off an oncoming stint of tears, I imagined that it was also difficult for her to watch me disappear into the aircraft, unsure whether it was going to be worth the two month wait. Crossing the gate was also difficult for me. There were so many worries I had, yet I knew that she could do anything if she believed in herself. I had full faith in her and she knew it.

Once I had arrived at Miami International Airport, I found my older cousin Mario eagerly waiting for me at the baggage claim area. Although I was extremely excited to see him after a year, the moment was bittersweet. I couldn't seem to get Raquél out of my mind.

"It's great to have you back, cuz'. You look good," he said, patting my back after we exchanged a quick embrace.

On the way to his house, I noticed the occasional glances he sent to me while I spoke to Raquél over the phone.

At first it seemed like he was hesitating to say something, which compelled me to finally ask, "What?"

"There's something different about you, but I just can't figure it out."

"If by 'different' you mean happier, then yeah... I am."

"Missing her already, huh?"

My cousin knew about my girlfriend way before I started to talk to her. Whenever I used to confide in him for advice, he was always the person who told me to jump when I was afraid to take the leap of faith. He knew as well as me how much better life was with a remarkable girl who understood us. Mario's girlfriend Nikita was his Raquél.

"I know just how you feel. When Niki left for her family reunion in Havana, I cried like a baby for two nights. I missed her laugh and her smile; and the way she played with her hair... Damn, I love that girl," he said grinning to himself.

"I thought that I could be strong, but listening to her voice over the phone; not being able to touch her or kiss her is torture. I've never felt so emotional in my life. I need her."

Offering a sympathetic hand, my cousin reached out and placed his hand my shoulder.

"Well, we've gotta part ways sometimes, but it makes the relationship much stronger. There's nothing like having her in your arms again. It's worth the wait, trust me," he reassured me.

Taking his advice to heart, I decided that sulking for the next two months were not going to help me cope with being apart from Raquél. Instead, I eagerly awaited that day in hopes that my commitment to her would grow stronger.

"You're right, I guess. And at least I'll be back in time for her _Quinceañera,"_ I murmured once we pulled into the driveway.

With an incredulous exhale, Mario leaned back and shook his head in slight disbelief.

"Whew, fourteen, man. She's so young. Doesn't it make you nervous when people stare?"

"Not really. It's not like I'm doing anything wrong; I'm not hurting her. I mean, I definitely know that sex with her is considered illegal, but we're _far_ from that stage at this point."

"I guess age isn't much of a factor for you, but all I'm saying is be careful. People can assume sometimes," my cousin warned.

For a moment, I recalled the afternoon I was questioned by that officer after the incident, and the type of punishment I could receive if I was caught having sex with a young girl. The term "statutory rape" made my stomach churn. They'd make it seem as if I purposefully intended on hurting my girlfriend.

Why couldn't genuine love be the exception?

As Mario and I began to haul my suitcases out of the trunk, Nikita appeared from the porch wearing a large grin.

"Enriqué, is that you?" she gasped, feigning disbelief.

Immediately I was greeted with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, my God, look at you! All that football seems to be working well for you."

"And his _girlfriend,"_ Mario added teasingly.

"Oh, your girlfriend! Raquél's her name, right?"

"Yeah."

"As soon as we get inside you_ have_ to show me a picture of her. Mario told me that all you do is talk about her over the phone."

"You jealous, Mario?" I taunted.

"No. It's just that I get tired of you telling me how perfect she is."

"She _is_ perfect. Niki, just look at this."

As I showed Nikita the picture of Raquél, she gasped and clutched the phone closer to get a better look.

It was the photo same I'd taken the afternoon before I came to Miami. As the midday sun shone at its brightest, I caught my girlfriend reading stomach-down on the couch at her house. Seeing me with the camera, she placed the book down and leaned up on her elbows to give me a silent grin, her seductive lips taunting me with their plumpness. She was my photogenic goddess.

"Wow! She's gorgeous! And her eyes are piercing... Has anyone ever told her that she could be a model?" she asked.

"We live in New York. Random people tell her that at least once a day, but she doesn't believe anyone."

"Why? She can definitely have a billboard in Times Square if she wanted to."

"I always tell her that she can do anything, but she doesn't feel confident because of the things people say to her. A lot of people are jealous of her, and they'd do anything to hurt her," I explained with a despondent shrug.

Placing a hand on my shoulder, Nikita gave me a sympathetic nod and said, "I know... Mario told me what happened."

It was comforting that she understood the constant worry I had for my girlfriend's safety, and how badly the incident had scarred her.

Meanwhile, I wondered how Raquél was coping without me.

**~RMCR~**

**Later That Evening**

**Raquél**

I was left slightly disheartened after listening to Enriqué's voice over the phone, all the way from Miami. He also sounded sad as he told me that he missed me and that he loved me.

Luckily I managed to hold back the tears, which—if heard by my boyfriend—would've sent him on an immediate guilt trip. I wanted him to enjoy his vacation without worrying about me. But I couldn't stop him even if I tried. At least he cared, and that was all that mattered. My family's trip to Puerto Rico was in a week, but I still continued to attend the self-defense classes, determined to learn to protect myself.

At 7:30 when it was time to put my siblings down for bed, I decided that I would also take a short nap since my parents were watching the other kids.

_A nap will definitely take my mind off of the stress,_ I cheerfully thought to myself.

After slipping into the Varsity jacket Enriqué had given me months ago, I closed my eyes and let my mind drift away.

_This feeling was all too familiar. The empty school corridor was long and obscure, and an unmistakable sense of danger began to lurk over me as I quickened my steps. That was when a figure in the distance caught my attention, and to my relief, I discovered that standing beneath the dim glow was my boyfriend. _

_"Enriqué!" I gasped, running into his arms._

_He felt warm and gentle, washing away any lingering fears I had._

_"You're back." _

_"I'd never leave you, Sweetheart. I love you," he told me before pulling me into a deep kiss. _

_As his arms locked around me, I felt that nothing could harm me as long as he didn't let go. And he held on tight. _

_I wasn't concerned when his lips moved onto the shell of my ear, because we'd gotten slightly carried away on some occasions. I craned my neck to give him more access, unafraid of taking things further. His shirt became balled clumps of material in my hands as a shudder climbed up my spine. Having never been so close to deep intimacy with Enriqué, I was curious to find out how strong of a connection we shared. _

_But once I felt my backside being groped by his palms, I immediately seized his wrists. _

_"Enriqué, stop. That's making me extremely uncomfortable," I said while he continued his actions. _

_Paying no heed to my plea, his kisses became heavier and rougher, which was frightening since he was unaware that I was in pain. I quickly drew the line as his lips fell past my collarbone. This made me very frustrated with my boyfriend. _

_"I said 'stop', Enriqué! You didn't have to go overboard like that!" _

_To my horror, when I pushed him away I found that I'd come face to face with Carlos. Enriqué was nowhere to be found. _

_"You thought that I was done with you, Angel? No... I'm just getting started." _

_Letting out a terrified yell, I immediately turned to sprint down the hallway and away from my tormentor. But in the blink of an eye I became suspended in midair, my curls trapped between his tight grip. _

_From what seemed like out of nowhere, his friends stepped out of the shadows wearing nothing but jeans. It was evident that they'd caught me to get what they wanted, and they were going to get it at any cost. Dutifully, Sean held his video camera at the ready. _

_As I forced my gaze around the closet, my heart dropped when I found the four boys removing their jeans, including Carlos. _

_"Please no... Don't hurt me, please," I pleaded tearfully. _

_But my plea fell on deaf ears, and Carlos finally gave the disturbing command. _

_"Get her." _

_Armed with a bundle of rope and a scarf, the boys pounced like a pack of wild animals and seized my arms and legs before I could defend myself. My vision was suddenly obstructed as the scarf was roughly tied around my face. I felt my hands being bound in front of me and the clothes being ripped off of my body. _

_Knowing that I was about to be raped by five boys was scary enough in itself, but being unable to see what they were going to do to me was even worse. Their chuckles of approval sent chills up my spine once they stripped me of my last garment, observing my exposed body in hunger. _

_I knew that I'd have to rely on my other senses if I wanted to survive. But I quickly panicked once I felt my legs being spread apart, and I kicked at whoever was trying to win the first moment of penetration. Although I couldn't see, I knew that my foot had swiped the assailant across the face, which made him extremely angry. _

_The force of the slap he gave me was so punishing that the blindfolded had fallen from my eyes, introducing me to the exposed group. Carlos wrapped his palm around my neck and slammed my head into the ground, causing me to cry out in pain. _

_"Don't fucking move!" he bellowed. _

_"No!" I screeched. "I won't stop fighting. I'll never stop trying to get away from you! Enriqué's going to kill all of you!"_

_"Listen, little girl. If you think that punk is coming to your rescue, you're wrong. Why do you think he went to Florida? It wasn't because he wanted to see his family; he just got sick of you hanging onto him like a damn lost puppy." _

_I shook my head, refusing to believe blatant lies from this cold, heartless person. _

_"You're wrong! Enriqué loves me and he'd never do anything to hurt me. You don't know him!" _

_"Oh, I know him, baby. But since you don't seem to understand what he's after, why don't I just show you?" _

_What happened next brought a piercing cry from my lips. My world seemed to fade to black as he plunged into me. His thrusts were heavy, relentless, and rough. The pain was numbing and surreal. The dim red glow of the video camera seemed to become blinding as it was drawn towards my contorted face._

_In a matter of seconds, all five boys had me occupied at every angle, raping me, destroying my body, and tainting my innocence. I was no longer a person, but a thing that they were just going to leave to die once they'd unleashed their sick desires. _

_The pain became much too unbearable, my head began to spin, and before I knew it I was floating in thick, black, lifeless air..._

When I dared to open my eyes again, I found that the torment had not ended. Above me, the figure of a man held a tight grip on my shoulders, shaking me.

"No! Get away from me!" I screamed, fleeing from his grip.

The darkness provided no help, and I tripped over my own feet before colliding with the wall. Knowing that I couldn't escape, I crawled into the corner and shut my eyes, hoping to get out of this nightmare before it grew worse.

"Raquél, it's me, honey," the gentle voice said, which caused me to look up from my fetal position.

The lights were on, and I found Troy and my mother glancing down at me in concern.

"Papi," I whimpered, stretching my arms out to him.

He immediately knelt down and wrapped his arms around me. I held onto my stepfather with all the strength I had, afraid to let go.

"You're okay; it was just a bad dream. Don't cry," he whispered to me.

"Oh-no, she's hyperventilating. Help her up, Troy. Get her some water," my mother instructed.

After placing me on the edge of my bed, Troy reached for the glass of water on my nightstand while my mother did her best to comfort me.

_"¿Quieres hablar de ello?" _

"I had a dream that... that they raped me. It was so real and scary; th-the pain was horrible," I hiccupped.

"Well, you're not really hurt and that's all that matters. But, my God, your clothes are drenched and you're trembling! It's a miracle you didn't have a panic attack. Is there anything else we can do to keep you calm?"

"I wish Enriqué was here. I miss him so much."

At that moment my parents didn't know what to do, because getting Enriqué here was virtually impossible.

"Can I call him?" I finally asked.

"Sure... If it'll help you feel better."

Before leaving the room, my mother and Troy kissed me shut the door behind them. Although it was after one o'clock in the morning, I picked up the phone, desperate to hear his voice.

"Hello?" I heard him answer groggily.

"Enriqué? It's me."

He immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Hey, Raquél? What's wrong, baby?"

"I-I had a nightmare," I said.

"About what?"

"Um, Carlos and his friends raped me. It was really bad."

"Oh, no. This is why I didn't want to leave," he sighed to himself. "Are you okay, though?"

"Yes, I'm just a little shaken up. Mami and Troy were there for me."

"But I wasn't."

It was evident that he was frustrated with himself for being unable to comfort me when I needed him the most.

"It's not your fault. I'm not mad at you if that's what you think," I reassured him.

"I know. It's just that I can't keep my mind off of you. I miss you too much."

"I miss you, too... Well, I'm sorry if I woke you—"

"No, no! It's no problem at all. I was awake anyway. But I'm guessing you must be really tired," he said.

"I've never been so tired before. I'm scared that that if I fall back asleep, the nightmare will come back."

Quietly, I sniffled to myself as a fresh bout of tears arose.

"Don't be scared Sweetheart. If you think that the dream will continue, then it probably might. But think of something else; something that makes you happy. I can't promise anything, but trust me on this."

Apprehensively, I surrounded myself in his jacket, taking in the faint scent of his cologne as I laid back on my pillows.

"I trust you," I said.

"All right, baby. Just relax, close your eyes and I'll call you in the morning, okay? I love you."

"I love _you,_ Enriqué. I can't wait to see you again."

"Same here."

Taking my boyfriend's advice to heart, I hung up and took a deep breath before shutting my eyes once again. If Enriqué was confident that I would get past this minor obstacle, then I had to be confident in myself.

_I am wearing a gown of the purest white silk. I'm surrounded by a field of cream roses, which stretch as far as the eye can see. _

_In the distance I find the man I've come to fall in love with, sitting at the edge of a creek. As my feet carry me closer to him I notice that he is holding a ring between his fingers, the most indecisive look etched in his features. He seems very conflicted, unsure whether to put the ring in his shirt pocket or to drop it in the creek._

_"Enriqué," I call to him, resting my palm atop his shoulder. _

_He glances over his shoulder and gazes at me as if I were an ethereal marvel._

_"Oh, Sweetheart. Look at you... You're so perfect. I love you so much. But I don't know what to do. I-I just don't," he tells me. _

_"Tell me what's wrong." _

_"Nothing is wrong. It's just that I'm not sure if I'm making the right decision. I'm so happy, and I've never been so sure of anything in my life." _

_Suddenly, Enriqué begins to toss the ring into the air, catching it and tossing it repeatedly as if he has become a robot. The sight is quite disturbing, and I find myself shaking him out of the trance to no avail. _

_"Enriqué, I don't know if you can hear me, but whatever decision you make, listen to your heart. It'll always come through for you, just like it came through for me," I whisper in his ear, and kiss his cheek before strolling away from the creek. _

_He continues the action, still unaware of my presence as I slowly depart, also riddled with doubt. _

'_I do love him with all my heart, and I don't want this to end for as long as I live,' my thoughts say._

_If this man that I love so much is contemplating what I hope will be someday, then I want him to do what feels right. Whatever he decides to do, I'll keep faithful to his wishes no matter what. That is a promise._

**~RMCR~**

**The Next Day**

I woke up feeling much more relaxed and energetic. Once I strolled into the kitchen to make breakfast, my stepfather silently approached me and kissed my forehead.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Much better."

"Great. I already made a batch of pancakes and bacon if you want to eat before you leave for class."

_"Gracias, Papi." _

With a slight grin, Troy turned back to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.

The dream continued to haunt me like a foreign voice in my head; growing louder and louder until I was compelled to say, "Troy?"

"Yes, babydoll?"

"When you decided that you wanted to marry my mother, was it a difficult choice to make?"

Pausing between sips, Troy glanced ahead in quick contemplation before placing his mug down.

"Well... I knew in my heart that I wanted to marry Gabriella, but there was so much more that I had to consider. I had to ask myself, 'Is this the woman that I'll still want to wake up to, 50 years from now? Am I going to be as madly in love with her then as I am today?' It was a tough question, because I'm the type of person who wants a lifelong commitment. I take the vows 'til' death do us part' seriously, unlike most people who marry as often as they change tires. You can only marry someone not just if you believe that it'll work, but if _both _of you make it work. Most importantly, you have to be ready to accept what is to come. It's not always going to be a walk in the park, but it what makes your relationship stronger. Many people don't realize that and just end up quitting," he said.

Suddenly, I realized what Enriqué wanted. It wasn't the classic, unstable teenage relationship so many people our age had. Nor the inevitable fate of a senseless breakup over lack of trust and commitment. He didn't want to date other girls just to get what his unsteady hormones craved or have a girlfriend because everyone around him had a relationship.

As much as my mind doubted that it was true, my heart told me that Enriqué wanted to make the ultimate commitment. Yet I wasn't quite sure if I was ready.

Perhaps he was also on the fence about his decision, which explained why he was tossing and catching the ring in my dream.

"Why?"

"Oh, um... Nothing. I was just asking because I was curious," I lied anxiously.

Troy could see past my charade. Before leaving the kitchen, he departed with an enlightening piece of advice.

"Just in case you get any ideas, think hard about the decisions you want to make for yourself. It's your future, after all," he said.

No such words had ever inspired me to think ahead about my relationship with Enriqué.

Being young and in love was a treacherous journey I never imagined myself embarking on, yet I knew that the love we shared was unique. It wasn't perfect, and we didn't try to make it that way. Just the flawed, unrehearsed, spontaneous way we expressed our love was enough to leave us with the confidence that we were meant to be.

Destiny had done its job.

**This was a very short chapter but of course this story is **_**faaar**_** from over. For the next chapter I may skip the whole summer and progress towards the Quinceañera chapter. It's going to be great! Thanks for the support and please review! **


	28. Changes

**Wow, it's been a hectic few weeks! I know that it seems like a while since I've posted and I spent last night finishing up this chapter for you. I really don't want to keep you waiting for the Quince but the trial is supposed to be before the birthday so the next chapter will focus on that and then I'll get to work on Raquél's birthday. I hope you enjoy this one! :D**

**Chapter 28: Changes**

**Enriqué**

Over the course of my first week of summer, I found myself longing to return to New York to be with my Sweetheart.

Talking over the phone for two hours every night became increasingly repetitive and slightly depressing. The worst part always came when Raquél managed a gentle, "I love you." After I returned the mutual reply, I usually hung up the phone in sadness knowing that I couldn't be there. She even haunted my dreams, so much so that I often woke up in the middle of the night and searched the room for her in my trance.

Not even an entire week spent without her and my love had grown stronger than ever.

"So,_ primo_... You ready to visit my old college? We can meet with some sports recruiters and see if they'll be interested," Mario suggested at the breakfast table that morning.

"Uh, sure. Yeah," I replied distractedly, not completely in touch with reality.

"Still missing her, huh? It must be tough keeping her off your mind."

"I swear, it's getting worse, Mario. Last night, I just wanted to cry after she hung up. I don't know what to do with myself," I sighed.

"Come on, Enriqué, cheer up. You'll feel better once we get on the field. Sulking over your girlfriend is the worst thing you can do at this point."

I couldn't deny that my cousin had made a valid point.

Before I left New York, Raquél told me that she wanted me to enjoy my summer without worrying about her, and I'd vowed to myself that I would stay strong no matter how much I was missing her. We were not going to be separated forever, just a few months. And if it were any consolation, we'd both return to show each other how summer had changed us. In a good way, of course.

"Yeah. You're right. Raquél would want me to be happy and have fun on my trip. When we get to the university, I'll kick your ass in the scrimmage."

"That's what I wanna hear! And don't let your ego ruin it for you," my cousin taunted.

Once Mario and I rushed outside to the car, I felt much better not having to deal with my imbalanced emotions. Within time I would have my girlfriend in my arms once again, which made the difficulty of separation more than worth the wait.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

**Puerto Rico**

Despite my strong protest, my mother couldn't help bringing up word of the impending court hearing to my great-grandparents and her cousins. Not even an hour spent on the island and she had already failed at containing her words.

"Mami! I told you not to talk about it!"

For a moment I'd forgotten that in Puerto Rico, discipline was still enforced no matter how old I was.

"Mind your manners, Raquél-María. Your mother and I are talking," my great-aunt warned.

Dejectedly, I quietly sat back and ate my lunch as they continued chatting on the porch.

"Anyway, I'm just a little on the fence about representing her in court. I mean, I know that I'd be setting her up for disaster since I'm her mother. It's an emotional matter for both of us. The trial is in August... Where am I going to find an attorney on such short notice?"

It was understandable that my mother wanted my assailants to be given the maximum penalty for hurting me, but in truth I was only worried about the trial going public.

If my story of the Superiors' attempted rape were to become a headline in a major newspaper, I wouldn't be able to handle so much attention. Throughout my life, I had always been labeled as the "victim" by people who only knew my name. Now that the law was involved, I did not want the general public, who were also strangers, to see me the same way.

Keeping my private life between my own family was just as important as making sure that Carlos and his friends received the worst punishment possible.

Once Troy emerged from the house after putting his suitcase away, he discovered my mother's predicament. Then from what seemed like out of nowhere, he came up with a solution.

"I may just be going out on a limb here, but I _think_ I know someone who can be Raquél's attorney," he said, not entirely sure of himself.

"You 'think' you know?"

"What I'm trying to say is that there was this girl who went to the same college as me. She was really passionate about the criminal justice system and it was no surprise that she planned to go to law school after college. I'm not sure if she became a lawyer, but it's worth a try."

"I'm willing to try anything. But I just have one question... Is she good?" my mother asked.

"If you were a bystander at her mock trials back then, you'd know. She was assertive, quick and sharp; and I even remember her putting the judge in his place a few times. Her name is Taylor McKessie and she lives in Texas. We have to contact her immediately if we want to put those boys away," Troy explained.

"Okay, great! Why don't we start later? I'm sure you can get in contact with her through state records. Or maybe you can look for her over the internet if that'll be quicker."

While my parents reveled in the fact that I would be properly represented at the hearing, my only concern was the separation anxiety I couldn't seem to ignore.

Spending time apart from Enriqué was one of the toughest challenges I had to face, and it was no consolation that he was just an ocean away. In a few weeks' time, my family and I would be back in New York while Enriqué remained in Miami until early August.

So far our efforts to stay in contact proved slightly difficult because of our inability to be in each other's arms. I missed the way he lovingly gazed at me when he thought I wasn't looking, and the way he distractedly played with my curls amidst a conversation. But I knew that once we were reunited our love would grow even stronger, if possible.

"So," my older cousin began while leaning forward on her chair.

"Someone told me that you have a boyfriend. Is this true, Mama?"

"Yes. His name is Enriqué and he's from Cuba. He's amazing."

"I thought you didn't trust boys. Last year you told me exactly that."

"No, Abby. You've never met anyone like this boy. He's affectionate and charming... He'd take a bullet for my daughter; he loves her so much," my mother replied proudly.

"And I love him. I mean, it's hard for me to trust people but I opened up to him immediately. He's different. I've never felt this way about someone before."

"Ohh, how precious. You deserve to have a man take care of you after all you've been through. I'm very happy for you, Raquél."

Silently, I grinned to myself as I reminisced about all the things Enriqué had done for me, whether to comfort me or make me smile.

"He does take care of me," I murmured.

That was when my great-grandmother interjected with a statement that created awkward tension in the air.

"When he asks you to marry him, then you'll find out that he's the One."

So far, she was not the only person to bring up the topic of marriage proposal.

Lately it seemed as though everyone around me looked forward to watching me take my commitment with Enriqué further. Although I was still a teenager and I couldn't predict that everything I knew would last, there was one thing I was sure of.

"Maybe he will in the future.

But right now I just want to enjoy what we have at the moment."

"It's important to wait until the both of you are ready. Rushing into marriage is the worst decision you can make as a teenager, so take a few years to get to know each other more before making such a big commitment," my great-grandmother advised.

"I will, _Tita."_

Hoping to get my stepfather well acquainted with the island, my mother eagerly made plans to take Troy and my siblings out to the city the following day.

In the meantime, my older cousin took her place as choreographer to help me and my relatives with our group dances. Dancing in front of hundreds of family and friends was going to be a nerve-wracking challenge to face, yet I refused to fall back on my efforts to get rid of my SAD. Stage fright was the most crippling of my disorder, and the simple thought of it often caused me to break into hives.

With more than half of my team in unreachable locations like Boston, New York, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, practice was going to be hectic without all 28 members of my court. We had the entire summer to perfect the Waltz, the Merengue, and a Bachata dance.

Abby ushered us outside to the backyard, where we would have plenty of space to dance. At the front, her boyfriend had the video camera hooked up to a laptop so that he could send the footage to the missing pairs wherever they were. Before starting, my cousins and I finished our warm-ups and prepared to follow Abby's steps as the music began.

As awkward as I felt dancing the Waltz for the first time, she gently guided me across the patio.

"Don't be nervous, Sweetie. Just do what comes naturally," she encouraged me.

"I'm a little anxious about dancing in my ball gown in heels... What if I trip in front of everyone?"

"Oh, don't talk that way, Raquél! You're going to be fine and you'll look great doing it. Think of it this way: what is it like looking into your boyfriend's eyes?"

Almost immediately I thought back to that afternoon in December, when Enriqué convinced me to dance with him in the middle of my living room. The conviction and adoration in his gaze was evident, yet it was difficult for me to notice over the wall that kept me from discovering my own feelings for him.

"When I look into his eyes, nothing around me seems real but him. Everything disappears and it's just the two of us, and I feel like I can be myself without worrying what other people think. It's natural," I replied, slightly grinning to myself.

"Then all I want you to do while dancing is to keep your eyes locked on his. If you let your emotions do the dancing for you, you'll do a great Waltz... I have faith in you, Raquél."

In times when I doubted that I could do anything, the people I loved believed in me no matter what. Their love and support was the best encouragement I could have.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

**July**

On the morning of my birthday, I received a phone call from a very eager Raquél.

"Good morning, Birthday Boy!"

"Hey, Sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm great. I can't believe you're 20! Happy Birthday, Quique," she replied giggling.

"Thanks, baby. I bet you want to give me a big birthday kiss, huh?"

"You know I do. But since you're not here I guess you'll just have to settle for this..."

I chuckled as my girlfriend made an exaggerated smooch through the receiver, and imagined her soft lips against mine.

"Did you get my gift yet? I sent it two days ago to make sure that you got it in time," she said.

Just then, Nikita entered my room with a box and told me that it was from Raquél.

"Actually, I just got it."

"Ooh, open it now!" she squealed.

Placing the phone aside, I grabbed a knife and quickly sliced away at the packaging tape. I was stunned to find a few seemingly expensive gifts, which included a New York Giants jersey, a box of the Armani Code cologne and a stainless steel watch **(In profile)**.

"Wow! You bought all this for me? Thank you so much, Sweetheart," I said.

"You're welcome, Quique. I made sure to get the David Carr jersey because I know that he's your favorite player. I loved the scent of the cologne and I figured you'd also like it. What do you think of the watch?"

"It's great. Everything is just amazing, Raquél. You really didn't have to get all of this for me."

"Don't worry! It's your birthday, Papi. You deserve it for being so good to me," she said affectionately.

"Besides... not all of your gifts were bought. Look again."

Curious to find out what she was talking about, I dug beneath the Styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap until my fingers caught the edge of something. It must have been a card. Once I pulled it out of the box, an automatic grin crept onto my lips as the cover of the card displayed a picture of us at the amusement park.

"Go ahead. Read to me what it says."

"'To my sweet boyfriend... Happy Birthday, Enriqué! I hope you have a wonderful day. I love miss everything about you. Every day we spend together gives me all the more reason to keep hoping. I love you so much and I miss you. From your Sweetheart, Raquél,'" I recited.

My heart swelled at the touching message, and there was no doubt that Raquél's card was the best birthday gift I could have ever received. Preserved in lip gloss beneath her signature was the impression of her lips.

"I love you," I whispered to hide the crack in my voice.

"I love you, too, Enriqué. _Para siempre_ (forever)."

For the rest of the morning, Raquél and I chatted about anything that came to our minds.

At the same time, I began to make plans about the gift I would give to my girlfriend for her 15th birthday. Whatever it was going to be, the most luxurious of gifts couldn't top what came from my heart.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

**One Month Later**

I knew that my boyfriend would return from Florida any day now, yet just to keep me guessing, he didn't reveal exactly when he was coming back. This news kept me on edge every moment of the day, because I was so desperate to see him.

That morning, my mother returned with my gown and accessories, and insisted that I model them for her. As much as I wanted to, my mind was elsewhere and I gently turned her down. Seemingly unaffected, she disappeared to my room to hang my dress in the closet. Since she had taken charge of planning my _Quinceañera_, I'd begun to notice a strange yet obvious pattern.

It was understandable that my approaching coming-of-age ceremony caused her to get a little carried away. My mother was unable to afford her own_ Quinceañera_ when I was one, and instead of celebrating an unforgettable fifteenth birthday with her closest friends and family, she spent it at home rocking me to sleep. She had attended and participated in every _Quinceañera_ of everyone she ever knew, but never experienced it for herself.

I didn't want to assume anything, yet I couldn't ignore the feeling that my mother planned to live vicariously through me on the day of my birthday.

My suspicions grew aroused once I realized that my mother had not yet emerged from my bedroom after a few long minutes. Hoping to investigate, I peeked through the crack in the door, where I found her sitting at the edge of my bed holding the gown. I watched as her fingers ran delicately over the embroidered bodice, as if trying to preserve it in her memory.

The quiet sniffles that hissed throughout the room was gave me an indication that she was crying.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a little emotional thinking about your _Quinceañera_... It seems like yesterday I was changing your diapers.

You've grown up so quickly."

"Oh, Mami, don't cry. I know it must be hard for you since I'm the oldest, but I'm still your little girl."

Cracking a smile, my mother pecked my cheek and said, "You are. And look who you've become. You're smart, beautiful, loving... strong. I couldn't ask for a more perfect daughter."

"Well, you made me this way. I really should thank you for raising me to be myself. You always put us ahead of you to make sure that we're happy, and I'm so thankful for all the sacrifices you've made for me."

Shifting her glance to my dress, my mother's features descended slightly and she sighed aloud.

"Then why do I feel so terrible?" her voice broke.

"About what, Mami?"

"I'd really love to say that I wish I had my own _Quinceañera_, but that wouldn't be fair to you at all. That would be so selfish of me. I mean, I dedicated the rest of my teenage years to being a mother. There were so many responsibilities I had to take on that sometimes I felt like I was missing out on the things my friends were doing. Honey, I would never blame you for the things I missed out on, and I'll never regret the decision I made to raise you because I love you too much to think about myself. I never gave up trying to give you a happy life and nothing—not even a birthday party—could've changed my mind. I didn't miss out on anything because I spent all these wonderful years with you, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Touched by her words, it was then that I realized that my mother deserved much more gratitude than what I owed her. When I was born, she could have easily put me up for adoption or abandoned me if she wanted to. But she wasn't the kind of woman who gave up at the first sign of a challenge, but endured the blood, sweat and tears for something much bigger than herself: Love.

I quickly embraced my mother as a flood of tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I love you, Mami," I sobbed.

"Thanks for not giving up on me."

"Oh, I would never give up on you. You're everything to me, Raquél. I love you, too."

"And this _Quinceañera_ isn't just for me..."

Hoping to show my mother just how much I appreciated the sacrifices she made for me, I lifted my tiara from its box and nestled it into her curls.

"It's your day, too. For me and you to share," I said genuinely.

"I-I can't. It's your birthday, and I want the entire day to be about you..."

"You are not going to argue with me on this one. It's the very least I can do after all you've done for me."

Shedding tears of relief, my mother pulled me close and embraced me tightly.

"Oh, thank you, Angel. You have such a beautiful heart," she sobbed.

My mother and I became so enraptured in the moment that we hardly noticed Troy once he returned from work. He paused smiling in the doorway as he found us hugging on my bed.

"Looks like you two had a good talk."

"Hi, Daddy."

"How was work, honey?" my mother asked cheerfully.

"You know, the usual. But on my way home I picked up something that I think Raquél will be really glad to see."

The hinting gleam in his eyes told me that the "something" he mentioned must have been someone. I didn't want to get my hopes up in case he was just messing with me, but my curiosity had taken the upper hand. Slowly, I stepped towards the door and peeked into the living room.

It was like a dream.

My heart began to race uncontrollably, excited butterflies sprung to life in the pit of my stomach, and my knees trembled with anticipation. It was the kind of reaction I had whenever I came face to face with that remarkable man. His lips curled into that beautiful grin as he stepped over the threshold.

"Hi, Sweetheart."

"Enriqué!" I gasped.

He eagerly welcomed me with open arms, and lifted me off the floor as I crashed into him. His embrace was warm and loving, something I'd almost forgotten about him. If it was possible, his loving gaze pierced through me with more intensity than I could've ever imagined. Something had changed in him, yet it was anything but a bad change.

"Oh, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too, Raquél. Wow, look at you... You're even more beautiful now than you were when I left. I guess anything is possible," he chuckled, sweeping the curls away from my face. I'd waited long enough.

"Just kiss me," I whispered.

As if he had been deprived of nourishment for the whole summer, he quenched his passionate thirst and kissed me with all the pent-up emotion he'd kept bottled up. His palms glided down the contours of my waist and braced my hips, pulling me closer until I thought that we would snap together like a puzzle piece. Our tongues intertwined and danced the beautiful tango of our love, not with the caution of our relationship before the summer, but with a new, fearless motive that was bound to change both of our lives.

As usual, we failed to realize that time was still going until my mother entered the room and suffered a near coronary.

_"Raquél!_ Not in front of your sisters!" she gasped in a voice identical to my grandmother's.

As our lips noisily parted, I hid my face in slight embarrassment and giggled.

"Sorry, Mami. I'm just so happy Enriqué is back. This is such a great surprise."

"Isn't it? Troy thought of it at the last minute when he picked him up. We love to see you smile, baby," my mother said affectionately, smoothing my curls back.

"I love you guys!" I said to my parents before poking Enriqué in the chest.

"And I love _you." _

"I love you more."

Since my return from Puerto Rico, I continued to take the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes for the rest of the summer to strengthen my skills. Now that I had graduated from my age group, it was time to put my training to the test. Who better than my football captain boyfriend?

Enriqué seemed to read my mind and asked, "How have the classes been going? You probably know how to kick my butt for all I know."

"Make a move and you'll find out..."

He became slightly alarmed when I instructed him to wrap his hands around my neck to begin.

"What? I don't even want to pretend to choke you," he replied, but I assured him that it was nothing more than preparation to pin him to the floor.

Reluctantly doing as he was told, my boyfriend established a loose grip around the base of my neck, and before he could blink I had him flipped over on the carpet.

"Wow, it worked!" I exclaimed, surprised at the ease of flipping a man more than twice my weight.

"Damn, that was fast. But Sweetheart, I-I think you actually left a bruise where I landed. That really hurt."

"Let's try the bear hug move. Act like you're hugging me, only put your arms over mine and squeeze so I can't move," I instructed.

My parents and siblings joined in the fun and cheered once I flipped Enriqué a second time.

"Impressive, sweetie. I bet boys won't mess with you anymore after they see what you're capable of. You'll send them running scared," my stepfather said before giving me a high-five.

Now that I had all the tools I needed to defend myself, I knew that I would start the new school year on the right foot. My confidence was at an all-time high and if luck was on my side, this year would be the best of my life.

To celebrate Enriqué's return, we flocked over to his house across the city, where his parents eagerly awaited. Although I had made frequent visits to his parents over the course of the summer, their joy seemed suppressed not with negativity, but with an unfamiliar hint of excitement.

At their house, we shared stories of our vacations and discussed more plans regarding my _Quinceañera_ and the upcoming trial in court. As it turned out, Troy was able to get in quick contact with his former classmate and made arrangements for her to fly to New York as soon as possible.

"She's coming tomorrow and she'll be occupying our guest room since she'll be here a while. So I expect all of you to make her feel as welcome as possible, alright?" my mother said.

"Okay, Mami."

Curious about the process of court hearings, Enriqué's mother had a few questions of her own.

"Do you think this'll be an easy trial considering the amount of evidence you have?"

"Well, sometimes the guilty party can ask permission for an appeal and unfortunately the judge sometimes decides to reduce the sentence. After the incident, I took pictures of the bruises on Raquél's body and the police station has custody of the tape. But it doesn't necessarily mean that they'll receive a fair sentence. They can even turn interest onto Quique if they wanted to," my mother explained.

Once the adults became deeply engaged in conversation, Enriqué and I decided to slip away to the patio outside.

The cool summer breeze was not what caused goosebumps to sprout along my arms, but the gentle caress of his palms around them. My boyfriend wrapped his arms around me and sighed happily.

"It's great to be back with you. I have to admit I sometimes felt lost when we were apart, but my cousin was right... I love you even more," he said before pressing his lips to my temple.

Silently, we both gazed at the purple and orange haze that settled across the city.

"Something about you seems different, but not in a bad way. I noticed as soon as you came through the door."

"Yeah? What do you think has changed about me?"

"I don't know—it's hard to explain... But I just can't ignore the feeling that this year is going to be everything I've always hoped for," I replied.

Enriqué tilted my chin up and gazed deep into my eyes as if he were trying to seek the truth in them. At that moment, nothing was more reassuring than seeing how much he had grown over the summer. Not in a physical way, but with a certain drive, conviction; maturity. With much more love and acceptance than anyone could ever experience. That person was me.

Giving me a soft grin, Enriqué brought my hand to his lips and planted a kiss onto my knuckles.

"It _will_ be everything you always hoped for... For both of us," he whispered.

Although I had yet to know where the next step of our relationship was going to take us, we were undeniably destined to feel complete for once in our lives.

What we had wasn't just young love, but a deep, passionate desire to figure out what made life precious while we still had time.

**Since my school talent show is scheduled for next week, I'll be busy all week with dress rehearsals so for my AFFMB readers I apologize for the long wait. Please check out Enriqué's birthday gifts in my profile; they look awesome! Thanks for reading and I enjoy reading your feedback! :) **


	29. Secret Weapon

**Hello fellow readers! I hoped you liked the last chapter because you're going to be in for a lot of twists and turns in this post. To be honest this chapter was kind of a challenge since I know nothing of court trials, but I did some research and winged it as best I could. Hope you like it! :)**

**Chapter 29: Secret Weapon**

**Enriqué**

On the morning of the much anticipated hearing, my family joined me on my journey to the courthouse to lend support.

As a witness to the attempted rape, I was expected to testify against Carlos and his friends and convince the judge that they deserved to do hard time in jail, which should have been easy considering the amount of evidence the police had recovered from the crime scene.

But I knew that it was easier said than done. We had no idea what Carlos's lawyer planned to dish out during the trial, whether to put the blame on my girlfriend, her parents, or me. With our differences in age, there was no question that he would have plenty to work with.

I was prepared either way.

_"¡Vamos, mijito!_ Let's get inside before they shut the doors!" my mother hissed as she frantically waved me over.

After adjusting my suit one more time, I stepped into the lobby of the courthouse where the place was crowded with most of Raquél's family. She looked beautiful adorned in a plain black dress and heeled flats, anxiety deeply etched into her features.

"Raquél, Sweetheart," I gently called to her.

Undoubtedly distracted, she breathed a short sigh of relief and wound her arms around me.

"Hmm, you feel so warm..." she murmured into my chest. "I couldn't sleep last night thinking about today. I'm going to have to recall everything that happened in front of, like, 40 of my relatives and a jury. It's just embarrassing."

"I know that. But it's the only way the judge can determine their sentence. People do it all the time," I tried to encourage her.

"I know, but my disorder... What if I have a serious panic attack and I can't recover? Then what?"

"If you keep thinking that your SAD will flare up then it probably will, but don't let this beat you, Sweetheart. I won't allow it."

Just then, a petite Black woman wearing a suit stepped beside Raquél and reminded her that she would be entering the courtroom once the rest of us were seated.

"Is that your lawyer?"

"Yeah. It's been kind of weird having an attorney who's temporarily living with us. But I trust her and I know that she'll fight until the boys receive a stiff sentence," she said.

Some few minutes later, Raquél and I separated so that she could enter the courtroom once we were all seated. Before leaving her side, I kissed her forehead and whispered words of encouragement to her.

"Stay strong like I know you can be. We'll be right with you when you're testifying, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too, Enriqué."

Within the next twenty minutes, Raquél had entered the courtroom before the judge. She was not called to testify at the stand until Carlos and his friends were escorted into the room.

A sense of satisfaction came over me as I observed their true appearance, heads shaved; wrists bound together with handcuffs, and wearing bright orange jumpsuits. I couldn't imagine the discomfort she felt coming face to face her most feared tormentors again.

What was worse was that she would have to recall the story in front of them, including their seemingly overconfident attorney.

"Ms. Richmond, tell us what happened that day these boys attempted to rape you," the judge said.

Before she could reluctantly make her way to the stand, I gave her arm a gentle rub of encouragement.

"We're here for you, Sweetheart. You'll be fine," I whispered.

As Raquél built the courage to stand up, she glanced back and showed me the truth behind her gaze: pure terror. The courtroom held a stifling silence that threatened to suffocate us all, especially my girlfriend. With so many people staring, I knew that a panic attack was well on its way.

With the microphone pointed at her lips, her eyes remained downward as a deep shade of scarlet spread across her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell rapidly—any more violently and she would have passed out.

It broke my heart to see her so exposed and vulnerable.

"Ms. Richmond, your story?" the judge repeated after a minute, obviously unaware of her disorder.

That was when her attorney stepped in to let him know. She knew not to refer to her "stage fright" as a disorder.

"Pardon me, Your Honor. My client has an extreme phobia of speaking in front of people. Please give her some time to get used to the gallery."

But Raquél needed more than time. From our seats, her family and I gave her silent words of encouragement, hoping and praying that she would speak.

"Come on, baby girl... Say something," I murmured anxiously.

Finally, with tears building in her eyes, Raquél brought her head up, leaned towards the mike and said, "Um, I-I was sp-spending the first h-half of lunch a-at my siblings' daycare across th-the street fr-from school."

Her stutter was terrible, but she did manage to get a few words out, and that made my heart soar with pride.

"What else?"

"Around 11:45 I-I came back to school to have lunch with my friends. Since the cafeteria is on ground level, I w-was just going to pass straight through the construction area to get there. I usually don't walk in deserted places alone, but I didn't think that going up one floor to go down again made sense, plus the cafeteria was probably a few yards away. While I was walking I got this feeling that I was being watched, and it made me extremely uncomfortable. But before I could change my mind and use the stairs... they grabbed me and pulled me into a closet around the corner," she replied.

The uneasy shift Raquél made in her seat had not gone unnoticed by me, and we both knew that she would have difficulty getting into details.

"Explain exactly what happened once they had you in the closet."

"I started to yell for help, but Carlos slapped me and told me to shut up. The rest were just standing around and Sean had a video camera filming it. Then he told them to attack me. It was horrible. They ripped my clothes off, and I really tried to fight them off but they were too strong. Carlos kissed me and pulled my hair a few times before they moved onto my chest. I-I don't feel comfortable explaining what they did there. All of my clothes were gone except for my underwear and he ordered me to take them off myself, but whenever I refused he just hit me more. After a while he got impatient and pushed me against the wall by my neck, then tried to take off my underwear. Just as he got ahold of me, Enriqué kicked the door down and started beating him up to get him away from me. He chased them away and tried to calm me down, but I was too traumatized to even think straight. I'm glad he got there in time to stop them, because I don't think I would've been able to recover if they raped me."

For family members who had not heard the full story, it came as a shock to them how people would try to hurt such a deserving girl. They directed threatening glares towards the boys, who hardly looked remorseful.

"Our first witness Enriqué Sanchez has been asked to testify on behalf of Ms. Richmond. Following that I will also ask him a few questions. Come on up, Mr. Sanchez," Taylor announced, gesturing towards me.

Now it was my turn to tell those bastards how I really felt.

Before heading up to the stand beside the judge, I took the standard oath on the Bible by swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"Please tell us your side of the story, Mr. Sanchez."

"Well, I already knew that Raquél was going to be spending the first half of lunch period with her brother and sister, and the only reason I sensed that she was in danger was because we were texting each other. I knew that she couldn't have been more than 40 or 50 feet away, so when she didn't show up a few minutes later I began to get worried. At the time I only suspected that Carlos and the others managed to get her when she was alone, and I ran as fast as I could towards the other side of the building because I just knew that they would try to hurt her. I'm glad that I got there in time to stop them, because a few more seconds and... she'd be scarred for life," I said.

Since Raquél's attorney was required to remain unbiased while questioning me, I knew that curiosity about our relationship would soon be presented.

"Mr. Sanchez, would you mind telling me what was running through your mind as you found your girlfriend exposed and defenseless in the closet?"

"It was like a nightmare. Raquél was covered in bruises from head to toe, and she was shaking like a leaf. I've never seen someone so traumatized in their life. To be honest, her condition was so bad that I shed a few tears. Seeing her hurt is the worst pain I've ever felt, and she was so scared that she backed against the wall when I offered her my jacket. What they did to her is unforgivable to me. I love Raquél with all my heart and for them to hurt her was evil and coldhearted."

"You seem really passionate about this young lady... When did you have the opportunity to meet her?"

"Actually, I had all the time in the world to get to know her. This just might sound like something out of a movie, but when I first saw her walk into my English class last August, she was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. She was shy, beautiful, genuine, and when I found out that she was a genius, it truly was love at first sight. It was only until December that my teacher told me that I needed a tutor to improve my grades in English; otherwise I would've been kicked off the football team. Since Raquél is one of the smartest people at school, my teacher assigned her to be my tutor."

"And how did that turn out?" the attorney asked.

"She hated me," I chuckled. "It was mostly because I was friends with Carlos at the time. And that day happened after the weekend she attempted suicide..."

"Raquél attempted suicide? Why?"

"It's a long story. Basically a few weeks before, Carlos played with her emotions and dated her for three weeks just so he could take her virginity for a bet. I watched the entire plan go down, and only then did I decide that it was the last time he would hurt her," I replied.

"So, you mean to tell me that you once had a friendship with Carlos and his friends until he had sex with her? And she had a relationship with him beforehand?"

"Yes, I was friends with them for almost three years; since I moved here from Florida. When I found out his motive for having sex with her, I was furious. Raquél doesn't deserve to be treated the way they treat her—she never did. All her life she's had to fight just to feel normal and it's completely unfair because she is the most caring, nurturing, accepting person I've ever met... I love her. It hurts me to see that months of endless bullying have amounted to this. And when this is over, I hope I never get to see their faces again."

Silently validating my point, I stared down the ringleader of the entire operation.

"According to a report I received from the crime scene, you told a female officer that their attempt was premeditated. Is this true?" I was asked.

"Of course. About last November in English class, Mike noticed that Raquél was wearing a snug-fitting tank top. Usually she wears loose clothes and large sweatshirts because she isn't comfortable with boys staring at her. But earlier that day Carlos threw a bottle of soda at her and ruined her sweatshirt, so I guess she had to stick with what she was wearing underneath. Anyway, it was obvious to him that she was curvy, and suddenly it was like he wasn't repulsed by her anymore. He wanted her, not for the right reasons, of course. Since I was the only one of his friends with him in that class, he started talking to me about 'gang-banging' her with the rest of the boys," I said.

"And what did you have to say about it?"

"To be honest, I was still shallow then, and a coward. I was still caught up in being popular that I hid my emotions and bad-mouthed her to my friends as a way to discourage them. I just went along with the rumors everyone else was dumb enough to believe and said that she must have had an STD from 'sleeping around' with other guys. It wasn't true, obviously, because she was a virgin then. But at the time it was all I could do to keep the idea out of their minds. I don't know why I thought it was the right way to stand up for her."

"When you actually began dating Raquél and you knew that these boys would persist, what more did you do to keep them away from her?"

"To tell you the truth, I had to resort to threats. I'm not someone who is eager to fight anyone, but if the people I love are in danger, I have to do what I can to protect them. I repeatedly told them to stay away from her, and what did they do? They tried to hurt her anyway."

"If you knew that your girlfriend was in danger, Mr. Sanchez, why didn't you report it to the police?" she questioned, seemingly confused.

"Because I didn't think that things would escalate to this. I promised Raquél that I would fight for her no matter what, and when I make a promise, I never break it. I guess it would've been the best thing for her to report it to the police. Maybe things would have turned out differently," I replied guiltily, suddenly feeling like I played a part in the attempt.

"Hmm... Mr. Sanchez, I can't help but notice that you seem to be deeply infatuated with my client. Is she your first serious relationship?"

"Yes, she is. I mean, I've only dated maybe three girls in the past but there was no real connection I felt with them. Raquél is the first girl I've ever been in love with and will remain the girl I'm in love with for a very long time. Plus they all wanted the same thing from me."

"And what was that?"

"Sex."

"Have you ever been sexually active?"

"Never. I'm still a virgin, Ma'am. And I plan to wait even longer until Raquél and I both decide to get intimate," I replied proudly.

_"Oh, what a crock of bull!"_ boomed a voice on the other side of the courtroom.

Carlos's lawyer obviously did not believe my statement and felt that I had finally given him the break he needed for his clients.

"How is it possible that a 20 year old man has never in his teenage years, had sex before? People his age are so hopped up on hormones, they can't even think straight! Your honor, he took an oath!"

"And I _am_ telling the truth! To me, sex doesn't make the relationship. It ruins it if that's all two people want from it. Just because of my age and gender, it doesn't mean that all I think about is sex. Raquél and I want a real relationship that will last."

"I don't believe one word of it—"

"If I may finish my questioning, Mr. Leonard!" Taylor said firmly.

"Proceed, Ms. McKessie," the judge calmly replied.

"If sex isn't the main goal in your relationship with Ms. Richmond, then what is?"

As the audience turned their gazes back to me, it seemed like they somehow knew how much further I planned to take my relationship with my girlfriend. All seemed to be sure, except for Raquél.

She wasn't aware of my true intentions.

"Friendship, compromise, trust, affection; wisdom... Not the silly mistakes people our ages do to mess up their relationships. She makes me happy, so it only makes sense that I make her ten times happier," I responded earnestly.

Seeing no reason to question me further, Taylor declared my questioning over before calling the next witnesses, my cousins, to testify. Once they'd finished recalling their sides of the story, Raquél was called back up to be questioned by Carlos's attorney.

No one in the courtroom had to by psychic to predict that this would turn out to be ugly. Try as she may, my girlfriend could not seem to get that mask of intimidation off of her face. I became confused at his first question, which quickly aroused my suspicions.

"So, Ms. Richmond... Are there any issues I should know about? You know, family wise?"

"Not really. We've had a few births, deaths, marriages and divorces. Just like any other family."

"How about health wise?" he asked.

I didn't like where things were heading.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm healthy."

"Any self-esteem issues?"

"Uh, Your Honor, I really don't think—"

"Ms. McKessie, you are not allowed to speak at this time," the judge scolded.

Raquél froze. Leonard had her right where he wanted.

"W-well, I used to. It's gone away once Enriqué and I started dating," she said.

"I just want to know what would possess you to degrade yourself like you're doing now. It also seems as though your mental health isn't quite 100% according to what I have right here."

The courtroom burst into murmurs of concern as he presented a thick, aged folder to the judge.

"According to your medical records, between the ages of seven and eight you took frequent visits to the Outpatient Center for Mental Health at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. It says here that you were diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder, a very common mental illness. Your mother took you see psychotherapist Dr. Nancy Krigman on a regular basis for about a year until she recommended giving you sedatives as treatment for your SAD. Apparently that was when you and your mother never returned. Personally, this raises concern for me, and it should for you, Your Honor," he said.

"And why is that?"

"Because that was the problem in the first place! This poor girl has been victimized by her family for their neglect. Her overwhelmed mind can't function well without sedatives, which is why she can't make wise decisions."

"Mr. Leonard, those records were meant to remain disclosed! This information was to be given to His Honor and the jury alone!" Taylor shouted as angry clamors were thrown into the mix.

The judge repeatedly banged his gavel, but among all the chaos, Raquél was close to suffering a crippling panic attack. Surely, the attorney had humiliated her.

"Quiet in the courtroom!"

"Who, then, should we be prosecuting? The professionals at Lenox Hill for not keeping her in Inpatient care? Should we charge Mr. Sanchez with Statutory Rape of a mentally disabled minor? Or charge her parents with child abuse? What about prosecuting _his_ parents for condoning sexual assault—?"

"Your Honor, those are false accusations. He's badgering my daughter!" Gabriella shouted over the angry murmurs.

There was no doubt that Leonard's inflated ego was just making things worse, and it was even more upsetting that the judge allowed him to treat Raquél that way.

But before I thought that she would have a meltdown, she stood her ground like I knew she would. Instead, she was angry.

"What_ is_ this about, really?" she demanded.

"Instead of focusing on the wrongdoings of my clients, consider the things you've done to them!"

"Like what?"

"December 11: You physically assaulted Carlos with a punch to the face. Then again in February during gym class, and what your boyfriend did to them a few weeks ago," he argued.

"Yeah, and during those times they were all tormenting me!"

"What about in May? You should be charged with attempted murder after you chased Mike Acosta with a pair of scissors. Had those scissors caught your target a few inches to the left, he would be dead right now."

"And then what? You'd have less sick perverts to defend?" she retorted. "Of course I've had to defend myself a few times. What makes you think that I would've let them humiliate me in class or cut my hair? What makes you think that I would've let them _rape _me?"

"You are not the only victim here," he said.

"No, I'm not. They have not only made me suffer, but my family, my friends, and my boyfriend. The people I love haven't done anything wrong."

"You are a teenaged girl. You don't know the first thing about love or life, for that matter."

"Oh, really? You think that just because I'm young I don't know anything? I may have a disorder, but I know things that you aren't even aware of," Raquél challenged.

"Well, would you like to enlighten me on what I—a forty year old man with experience—am not aware of?"

"Actually, I would. You were the type of kid whose parents wouldn't give the time of day. You had everything as a child: a big, beautiful house with a spacious backyard, maybe a dog or two. You and your parents were closer than anything else in the world. And you never had to share because you were an only child. Your life was great until your workaholic father was fired from his well-paying job. Then he resorted to alcohol and drug use while abusing you and your mother to cope with the pain. And once she escaped with her life and he committed suicide, you were hauled off to an orphanage until you were old enough to go out on your own. You've never been able to maintain a proper relationship with women because they all grew sick of dealing with such an arrogant, self-centered, and controlling man. You live in constant fear of people knowing about your past, so much so that you put up this overly defensive wall. You feel that you have to hide evidence of the self-confidence you've lost after years of listening to your father tell you that you aren't good enough. You love making other people feel inferior to compensate for your own sad life. It's not my fault that you're unhappy... And who are you to tell me what real love is? I know what I'm feeling, and you don't feel the way I do. I know what love is and it will never come close to the treatment you've received."

With nothing more to contribute, Raquél silently rose and strode back to her seat. It was evident that Leonard had deeply underestimated her capabilities, and she certainly showed him who called the shots.

Presumably, her expert analysis had reopened some old wounds. Clearly upset, Leonard ignored the judge's warning to keep his composure and stormed out of the courtroom. Needless to say, the session was over for the day.

"All right, then. We will continue this session tomorrow with questioning and showing of the evidence by the prosecutor Ms. McKessie. The court is now dismissed," the judge announced before banging his gavel.

Once out of the courtroom I immediately engulfed my girlfriend in my arms, relieved that the harsh session was over.

"Can you believe that guy? He didn't have the right to cross the line like that," Raquél's mother murmured.

"I'm so proud of you, Sweetheart. Someone needed to stand up to that jerk, and I'm glad it was you."

"Me too. We might actually have a chance at winning this."

As we began to head back to the lobby, Taylor shook her head slightly as if to remind us not to get too ahead of ourselves.

"You never know. No matter how prepared we come tomorrow, there's really no way to tell how the next session is going to turn out. I have a feeling Leonard will bring out the big guns in the morning, so we'll have to bring even bigger guns."

**~RMCR~**

**The Next Day**

Upon our return to the courtroom, we came to find that Leonard did not seem to be in as much of a foul mood as he was the day before. Though it was our attorney's turn to question the boys and present the evidence, he remained completely unfazed.

Carlos was the first to be called to the stand. When asked about his motive, he shrugged wordlessly as if he didn't know why. But we all knew that he was too ashamed to admit the truth. Once he and the rest of his friends were questioned, Raquél was escorted out of the courtroom so that her attorney could present the evidence.

It was the part I had been dreading the most. Predictably, the gallery of family members and jurors exclaimed in shock and disgust once Taylor paraded the bags containing the blindfold, duct tape, bundle of rope, and lastly, a bottle of baby oil.

"These items were recovered at the scene of the crime, some of which were actually removed from the suspects soon after they were caught. I think we can all imagine how they planned to immobilize the victim," she stated. "Notice that no contraceptives like condoms were nowhere to be found, and had anyone of them sexually assaulted my client, this could have put her at serious risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or an unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, this shows that they would have cared less if they'd left her to live with a constant reminder of their crime."

A surge of anger rushed through my veins as I glanced over at the group, who looked on with no emotion. They were not even ashamed of what they had done.

"The prosecutor may have taken evidence from their possession, but that in no way proves that the victim was brutalized," Leonard argued.

"I beg to differ..."

He seemed surprised once a bailiff rolled down a projector screen on the left side of the courtroom. Taylor also handed to the judge what looked like several pictures. The gallery was also shocked to see photos of my girlfriend's bruised body from different angles.

"As you can see, a majority of the victim's legs, back and torso are covered with bruises. And if you look closely, you can see the slightest impression of swelling in the facial region as a result of physical assault. Her chest and neck are also covered in tiny bruises caused by excessive kissing—hickeys as they are commonly referred. These boys treated my client as if she were a piece of meat and did not give the slightest consideration for how this would affect her physically and emotionally."

"Your Honor, if you would observe the date on which these photos were taken; exactly two days after the incident was said to occur. For all we know, they could've dramatized the bruises to make the assault seem worse," Leonard replied, frantically searching to find a flaw in her evidence.

She saw this as the perfect opportunity to bring out her secret weapon.

"If I may say so myself, this was when the bruises were most prominent. But Your Honor, if you still don't believe the sheer brutality of the assault, I have with me the actual tape of their attempt. Luckily, Mr. Sanchez didn't smash the camera hard enough to destroy the footage completely. Though I must warn the gallery that this footage is extremely graphic in content and language, and if it becomes too disturbing for anyone to watch I advise leaving the courtroom immediately."

No one moved. They all seemed to be interested in watching the assault for themselves. However on the inside, we all wanted to turn away.

The video began as a moving blur of pixels, which soon cleared to reveal the lit crack of a doorway. From its vantage point Carlos was shown hiding behind a wall in the dim corridor. That was when Raquél came into view, and her back was turned to them as she remained occupied texting.

It was almost disturbing how much he resembled a predator, his stealth and silence making it easy for him to hunt his defenseless prey. She never saw it coming. In one swift motion, he covered her lips with his palm and forced her to the ground. He acted as if she was a sack of potatoes, dragging her body across the slick linoleum by her curls. Knowing that it was not too late to be rescued, Raquél screamed at the top of her lungs for help. But what ensued next sent chills up my spine.

The piercing ring of a slap echoed throughout the courtroom, and onscreen she was on the floor, clutching her cheek and crying hysterically. Beside me, her mother buried her face in her hands and began to sob. The act made Raquél scream louder, which only compelled Carlos to hit her even harder. We all shifted uncomfortably in our seats as the boys seized her clothing and ripped them to shreds without difficulty until she was left in her undergarments.

Meanwhile, Sean taped the pure terror that was etched in her features.

But nothing made my blood boil more than watching Carlos force his tongue into her mouth before leaving a mark on her neck. The worst was yet to come. A struggle ensued between my girlfriend and her tormentors, who had to dodge her legs as she kicked at them from the ground. Raquél managed to fight off Derek while he attempted to obstruct her vision with a blindfold. My stomach turned as Carlos then unhooked her bra and pried it from her grip.

I still showed no sympathy for Mike when he hesitated, because he chose to take part in the assault instead of putting a stop to it. To my slight relief, the tape had been edited to block her exposed breasts, yet it was no consolation to her privacy once they began to grope, lick and kiss her.

People shut their eyes as if they were watching a gruesome film. It might as well have been a horror movie.

The camera continued to be thrust into her frightened, tear-streaked face while her eyes remained downcast in shame.

"Smile, Superstar," came Sean's chilling laugh.

How could they? Raquél was a human being who deserved to be respected, not beaten and degraded like an animal. It was disturbing to see how little they cared for her feelings and the emotional impact a group rape would have on her. That morning as I sat in the courtroom watching footage of my girlfriend's assault, I realized just how evil, selfish and merciless people could be. As much as Raquél begged for mercy with no clothes on her back and tears streaming down her face, they humiliated her and nearly destroyed any shred of her dignity that was left.

My heart clenched with pain yet again as she was beaten for refusing to remove her underwear. Before Raquél could protest again, Carlos grew impatient and within seconds her body had been slammed into the wall with a crashing thud. It was not until she fell to the floor in a battered heap that I realized how close he came to raping her. All hell broke loose once I came to her rescue, and chased them away.

I assumed that the video had come to an end once the camera was slammed into the ground, but hoping to defend my case, my girlfriend's attorney let the tape continue. It was no wonder Raquél held onto me for dear life. She had been through the very incident women feared the most, yet I knew that had she not been as strong of a person, she wouldn't have made it out. Finally, the video ended as the tilted camera showed me caressing her in my arms.

The courtroom had been rendered silent with disbelief, and I was certain that I'd heard a pin drop as the lights came back on.

"And that, Your Honor, is why these boys deserve to be punished to the fullest extent," Taylor stated, ending her argument.

Had Leonard not have looked as white as a ghost, he would've been red in the face. There was no way that Carlos and his friends would gain any leniency from the judge after watching the tape. It was over for them. But to the attorney, it was far from over.

"Your Honor, I'd like to call Enriqué Sanchez to the stand," he said almost frantically, causing the gallery to murmur.

As I uneasily approached the bench, I knew exactly what Leonard had planned for me but I was prepared either way.

Meanwhile, Raquél was brought back into the courtroom while her relatives stared in awe, wondering how she managed to survive such a terrifying assault. As Gabriella continued to cry, she wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close.

"Mr. Sanchez, to my knowledge I understand that you quickly formed a relationship with someone by the name of Maya Ramiréz. You two dated for almost three years when you arrived here from Florida. Is that true?" he questioned.

"Yes, sir."

"Were you attracted to her in any way?"

"At first I was, until I saw her harassing a few kids at school. Then I didn't like her at all. Sheseemed nice when I first met her," I replied.

"Three years in a relationship, especially for people your age and younger, is a very long time. Why didn't you leave her after that time?"

Now I had become faced with a challenging question. What _had_ possessed me to stay with the Superiors for so long?

"Honestly, the popularity status was something I thought was worth all the frustration, because I only wanted to be accepted. I just couldn't let it go. It wasn't smart for me to lead her on, even though I eventually grew to hate her. I am so different for the rest of them, and being someone that I wasn't was the worst mistake I could've ever made."

"Were you ever intimate with Ms. Ramiréz?" he pried.

"Not really. The furthest I went with her was kissing, but she always wanted more from me. She tried to seduce me plenty of times but I always turned her down. I wasn't in love with her, and I didn't want to lose my virginity to someone I didn't love."

"So, who_ are_ you in love with?"

Instinctively, my eyes flickered towards the gallery and locked against Raquél's gaze. Leonard had lured me right into his trap.

"Mr. Sanchez, are you suggesting that you would have sex with a girl five years younger than you? She is just a 14 year old girl and you're a grown 20 year old man. That's not exactly a wise thing to do since sexual intercourse with a minor, or statutory rape, is considered highly illegal."

"I know it is, sir. We're not ready to take that step yet, and I don't think that's going to happen until few years have passed," I said.

"I'm confused, Mr. Sanchez. You have had a non-intimate relationship with a girl you've known for almost three years, and you've been dating Ms. Richmond for less than a year. How can you be in love with her, much less talk so comfortably about sex?"

"I just... Am. There are no words that can describe how I feel with Raquél. Everything about her is perfect, and I've never been so happy in my life. She is my life, and I love her with all my heart. Simple as that."

"Why? Is it because she's young and naïve?" Leonard suddenly assumed.

"No, that's not why I love her—"

"Trying to gain her trust and take advantage of her later? She's pretty weak and tiny. You can easily overpower her and get what you want so that you can leave, am I right? Isn't that what you want?"

Outraged, her relatives tossed angry remarks at Leonard, and this grew louder until the judge banged his gavel.

"No! I would never do anything like that. The only thing I want from Raquél is love and happiness, just a future. And don't undermine her—she is not weak. She's stronger than all of us here," I argued passionately, and hardly flinched as Leonard slammed his palms against the podium.

Raquél on the other hand was on the verge of suffering a severe panic attack. Before I thought she would pass out from distress, her parents rushed her out of the courtroom.

"Don't you feed me that pack of lies! I want the real truth!" he nearly bellowed.

"And it _is_ the truth! I sure as hell am nothing like those people you're trying to defend, people who have no hearts. For you to think that I would ever hurt her in any way is extremely disrespectful to us. If you felt the way I feel, you wouldn't be making any of these assumptions. But until then, you will never know how much I love her... Now if you'll excuse me, sir, my girlfriend needs me."

Having proved my point, I silently rose from my seat and walked through the doors to check on Raquél.

At that moment I only wanted two things: to be with Raquél when she needed me the most and to see Leonard get locked up with his clients. He did not care that he'd crossed the line without respecting the privacy of me, my girlfriend, and both our families.

My only hope was that his lack of self-control and low blows would cost him the trial.

**I can't WAIT to post the next chapter! At first I wanted to reveal the verdict until after the Quinceañera. Spraking of, the Quinceañera is definitely coming up so be on the lookout for that. I hope you enjoyed reading this, and please lend me your feedback. Thank you! **


	30. Brighter Than Ever

**Hey guys, I know it's been a while but I've been super busy lately. Anyway this is the chapter you've all been waiting for so enjoy! Also check my profile for the Quince dress. It's gorgeous! **

**Chapter 30: Brighter Than Ever**

**September 15th**

**Raquél**

On the morning of my fifteenth birthday, I had been awakened to the sound of faint singing outside of my bedroom. The mystery soon solved itself as a group of female relatives entered.

_"¡Feliz Cumpleaños a tí! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a tí! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños Raquélita! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a tí!" _they sang, while my mother balanced a red velvet cupcake on a plate.

Protruding from the middle of the treat was a single blue candle holding a quivering flame.

"Good morning, baby! Come on, make a wish and blow out the candle."

As I shut my eyes, I sensed that this meaningful day would become one of the most cherished moments of my life. There was nothing I wanted more than to be surrounded by my family, friends, and Enriqué.

_I wish to have all my dreams come true,_ my thoughts whispered.

After blowing the flame out, the women broke into applause and each gave me a kiss and a hug. My mother cupped my face between her palms and grinned in excitement.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Over the past few months I'd found difficulty in deciding what I was ready for. Throughout my short life I'd always made an effort to avoid doing things that I wasn't ready for, but that day I made a promise to myself that I would take on the most daunting of challenges head-on, no matter how much I doubted my capabilities.

"I'm ready for anything, Mama."

"That's great, _mija..._ Breakfast is waiting for you on the table, okay?"

Though it was clear that my mother was happy that this day had finally arrived, there was something more than just love and pride behind her gaze. I couldn't read them like I would on any other day, which left me to guess what had changed while I was asleep. But the secret was anything but a bad one.

No longer concerned, I rolled out of bed and made a beeline towards the dining room.

"Hey there, cutie," my stepfather said as I planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Good morning, Papi... What's all this for?" I asked, pointing at the feast on the table.

"Well, I can't let everyone here starve, especially you, Princess. You've got a big day ahead of you."

As I began to serve myself, I shook my head in hopes of getting rid of the building nerves.

"Please don't remind me. I'm so nervous about the ceremony."

"Maybe this will make you feel better," Troy hinted.

From around the corner came my father, who appeared to be holding something behind his back. That was when I noticed that my stepfather was following suit. I gasped as they presented a bundle of roses to me.

"Two dozen roses for our beautiful girl. Happy Birthday, Raquél," Andre said.

It was a touching moment seeing my two fathers together, no longer enemies. I giggled as they both gave me a kiss on each cheek, and I draped my arms over their shoulders.

"Oh, I love you guys! Thank you so much," I said.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" my mother interjected, grinning.

There was no need for her to tell me. My relatives watched on in silent admiration once Enriqué made his appearance equipped with his own dozen roses. If there was ever a time my boyfriend looked so happy yet so anxious, it was on my fifteenth birthday.

My heart began to race as he neared, closing the gap between us.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. I hope you like these," he replied timidly.

Gladly accepting the roses, I inhaled their sweet scent and cupped his face.

"Of course I do. You're so sweet, Enriqué."

Everyone around us seemed to disappear once our lips met in a gentle yet chaste kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," I replied. "Are there any more special surprises I should expect from you?"

"I'm just getting warmed up..."

It was then that I realized that this day was going to be different, just as I'd hoped. This was going to be the best birthday of my life.

**~RMCR~**

Since my tormentors were not going to be sentenced for another few weeks, it was nice to take a temporary break from the drama. My _Quinceañera_ was a time to celebrate with family and friends.

Earlier, most of my relatives had left for the Catholic Church to find seats for the ceremony, and the only people who were left with me were my 14 court members and my escort, Enriqué. They gasped in awe once I stepped into the living room in my full _Quinceañera _attire.

While handing me my bouquet, my boyfriend pressed his lips against my temple and whispered, "You look beautiful."

After listening to his heartfelt words, I felt confident enough to follow the group out of the house. Our fingers remained intertwined during the excursion to the church, never losing their tight grip.

On that morning, everyone seemed to be extra accommodating—not just because it was my _Quinceañera_, but for the same private reasons my mother kept from me. The only clue I had of that secret was the loving sparkle I found deep in Enriqué's gaze.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" I asked with a laugh.

"Because you're so gorgeous, and... I know that this day is going to be amazing for you. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you smile, Sweetheart."

Obviously there was more to his compliment than I knew. Although, if he planned on giving me another gift, I knew that nothing could top what came from his heart.

Once we arrived at the church, I found it difficult to ignore the crippling symptoms of my disorder.

Knowing that there were at least 400 people inside drove me crazy. While my_ Chambes_ and _Damas_ prepared to lead the procession, I remained frozen inside of the limo nearly gasping for air. My concerned parents and Enriqué rushed to get me hydrated, rubbed my back and whispered words of encouragement to me.

"Raquél, the ceremony is going to start soon. You have to go," my mother said hastily.

"Mami, I can't. I'm going to pass out when I see all those people staring at me. I can't," I panted.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to be afraid of. Don't look at anyone; just keep your eyes straight ahead and keep walking."

"It's not that easy for me, Enriqué. I can literally feel their eyes looking right through me. Wh-what if I freeze in the middle of the aisle?"

That was when Andre took my hand and looked straight into my eyes.

"During your whole life, have I ever seen you back down from a challenge? Never. You're much stronger and braver than you credit yourself for. If I can see you make a serious comeback every time something gets in your way, then this is nothing. You can do this, Raquél. We all have faith in you, including all those people in there. You'll be fine, I promise, baby."

It was evident that everyone was rooting for me to fight my SAD, and I couldn't deny that my father was right. If I had the courage to stand up for myself on past occasions, then I could hold my head high and walk down the aisle with ease.

"Okay, Papi. I'll do it," I replied confidently.

Once my parents and I climbed the stairs to the church entrance, my court of attendants began the steady processional, single white roses in hand. Before my boyfriend followed the last couple, he tilted my chin upwards and gave me one last piece of advice.

"If you have trouble focusing ahead, keep your eyes on me, okay? I'll be right there," he whispered before kissing my cheek.

"I know you will, Enriqué... Go ahead, you're up."

With a grin Enriqué turned and headed through the towering doors, leaving me with my parents to be my escorts toward the altar.

"Look at you, _mija,"_ my mother began emotionally. "You're like a little bride. Just imagine in a few years your father is going to give you away at your wedding. This is a beautiful glimpse into the future."

"Oh, Mami. Don't cry; you're going to make me cry. We haven't even made it inside yet," I replied.

"You're right. Are you ready?"

With conviction, I grabbed my bouquet of roses, took both parents by the arm and led them closer to the doors.

"Definitely."

As they hauled the doors open the congregation rose to their feet in honor of my arrival, and gasped and murmured in awe at my attire. While taking my first few steps down the aisle, a rush of adrenaline and a little bit of fear began to surge through my veins.

I nearly froze beneath the hundreds of gazes as I felt their eyes boring into my very soul, but what I found waiting at the altar provided me with the most comforting and reassuring vision of my future.

Standing some few feet away from the priest was an astonished Enriqué, who looked as if he suddenly had the wind knocked out of him. Our eyes locked and there was nothing that could tear them apart. The gentle strum of the harp and the presence of the guests and my court seemed to fade into the background. Nothing was left except for Enriqué.

The expression of certainty, anticipation and revelation unearthed how he really felt about me, and told me that history would without a doubt repeat itself when the time was right. I could not wait until that time.

The ceremony began when the priest briefly explained the rite of passage that was the _Quinceañera_, and proceeded with his sermon in Spanish. From then on I ceased to be a little girl and became a woman according to my age. After a while came the list of items in which I were to receive; symbols that represented my spiritual devotion to God. The bible represented the path I would take through life. Then I was given a single rose bud before receiving the half-bloom bud and lastly a rose in full bloom. They symbolized the different stages of my life regarding my knowledge of right and wrong. While the perfume symbolized prayers and the worship the saints offer to God, the parasol would "be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain."

Once it was time for my Godparents to approach the altar, they removed my flat shoes and replaced them with heels to represent the path I would choose as a responsible young woman. They also placed the tiara on my head and returned to their seats before the purity ring ceremony. This meant that I was supposed to abstain from sex before I was married and give the ring to my husband on my wedding night. Next came the lighting of the candle, which was a symbol of my life. First my parents received a flame on their own candle, and gave it to me as I placed it in the candelabra at the altar.

Finally, the three of us were asked to kneel in order to recite a prayer, my own prayer of consecration, and a Psalm. After giving words of thanks to them, the priest concluded the ceremony with the Priestly Blessing: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Once I stepped down to receive my roses, I could not yet breathe a sigh of relief. Next on the agenda that day was my reception, which I was expected to dance in front of the same 400 guests who attended the ceremony. During the sermon I contemplated backing out of the dances, but I knew that my family relied on me to finish what I started. I could not give up on myself.

As Enriqué took hold of my arm, he sensed that my anxiety was going to return once it was time for the reception.

"One down, one more to go. You can do this, Sweetheart. I know you can," he whispered.

"Thanks, Quique. I need all the encouragement I can get."

"You're still going to be amazing."

Taking my boyfriend's words to heart, I picked up my gown and led the court through the doors. While the guests left for the reception hall a few blocks away, we stayed behind to take pictures.

Whether or not I was ready to make my entrance, reminders of the promise I made to myself gave me more than enough fortitude to dance.

**~RMCR~ **

**Later That Afternoon**

"It is my great honor to present to you the _Quinceañera_ with her Chamberlain, Raquél María Consuela Richmond!"

My adrenaline returned with a vengeance as the doors of the ballroom swung open to reveal the hundreds of cheering family and friends. Putting on a brave face, tightened my grip around Enriqué's arm and led my 14 court members onto the floor.

I knew that I would eventually get used to being in front of the crowd since my group and I had several dances to perform. The guests were to be treated to a show to go along with their banquet, and they looked on in anticipation of the traditional _Tiempo de Vals _Waltz.

As we stepped into our places, my boyfriend whispered, "Think of the first time we danced. Try to remember how you felt when I carried you across the floor. Remember how natural it felt."

I remembered that day like it was yesterday. Since I hardly knew Enriqué at the time, dancing with him made me extremely uncomfortable, yet there was something—whether it was the way he caressed me or the trusting gleam in his eyes—that told me that he was unlike anyone I had ever met.

Once the music began, I kept my gaze locked against his replayed that moment in my head until the sound of applause brought me back to reality.

Finally looking into the crowd, I found them rising to their feet in admiration.

"Take a bow, Sweetheart. You were amazing!"

Having no time to ask how well I had done, I smiled and bowed for the cheering guests. Now that the first dance was over with, I could let loose and celebrate the rest of my birthday with confidence.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

That night as the party was in full swing, I decided that it was time to take my Sweetheart away from all the commotion.

Eager to be alone, we stealthily maneuvered through the thick horde of guests and disappeared into the darkness. After Raquél informed her mother that we were leaving early, I led her through the back doors and into the night.

"Enriqué, where are you taking me?" she asked as I pulled her along the stairway leading towards the hotel's parking garage.

Her high heels clicked rapidly against the pavement as she struggled to keep up with me; her short black dress flowing behind her.

"Baby, slow down. You're running too fast!" she giggled just as we skidded to a stop beside my car.

"I have a surprise waiting for you."

"Really? Oh, you're so sweet! What is it?"

"Come on, Sweetheart. You know I'm not going to tell you. It wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?" I replied cleverly, leaning down to peck her lips.

Another adorable laugh rang out into the still air.

"Well, can you at least give me a hint?"

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait, Raquél. But trust me, it's all going to be worthwhile."

My girlfriend only responded with a shy grin as I tucked a stray curl behind her ear. After she climbed into the passenger seat, I slid the key into the ignition and peeled out of the parking garage.

That evening, I planned to give her a special gift that would change both of our lives forever.

**Raquél**

My gaze remained fixated out the window beside me as I tried to conjure up a prediction as to where my boyfriend was taking me. Enriqué drove through the city leading towards downtown Manhattan, which was home of New York's most exciting nightlife.

Was he going to treat me to a show or dinner at a five-star restaurant? There were only so many activities we could do at that hour but were either too expensive or adult for us to partake in. All except...

_Wait a minute,_ my thoughts concluded. _That only leaves the hotels. He's taking me to a hotel!_

My fears soon became confirmed once Enriqué pulled into the entranceway of a Marriott hotel. Once he circled the car to open the door for me, I tried to conceal the slight panic in my eyes.

"Welcome to the Manhattan Marriott! Have a wonderful stay," the doorman greeted politely before letting us through the large glass doors.

Now that Enriqué's car was in the valet's hands, he pulled out a small duffel bag from the trunk and took my hand.

Following close beside him, he guided me towards the lounge area of the lobby and murmured into my ear, "Why don't you take a seat and wait while I check us in, okay?"

"Okay, Enriqué."

I leaned up to offer my boyfriend a quick peck then strolled towards the large leather chair in the corner. Not knowing what to think of the unexpected stop, all I could do was try not to freak out thinking of the possible outcomes that could occur as a result of this stay.

_Why did he bring me to a hotel? Is the surprise hidden here or is there more I should expect? _my mind continued to question.

I stole another peek at my cell phone and sighed when I found that my mother had not bothered to check up on me since we left 15 minutes before.

I watched Enriqué intently as he gave his information to the female receptionist sitting behind the front desk. Though I did not want to jump to conclusions by imagining what Enriqué had brought me to a hotel for, I was certain that we were not just going to sit in the room and stare at each other.

Anxiety brewed in the pit of my stomach once the woman swiped his credit card before handing him a key card. He then picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder and approached me.

"Ready?" Enriqué asked while gently taking my hand.

Without uttering a word, I only nodded and forced a smile. As we waited for the elevator to arrive, I mentally counted down the floor numbers until it reached the lobby. While ascending towards the 30th floor, Enriqué must have taken notice of my silence and gave my palm a gentle squeeze. He knew that something was wrong.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart? You're kind of quiet."

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," I lied, attempting to mask the expression of uncertainty in my features in fear that he would search for the truth.

But as usual, I could not fool him.

"No, _something_ is wrong. Tell me, Raquél. What's wrong?"

"I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"Oh, you're tired already?" he replied softly, brushing his finger beneath my chin. "That'll put my plans for tonight off schedule."

"What exactly were your plans for tonight?" I questioned skeptically, my eyes boring into his.

"Well, I was thinking that we could order some snacks and watch one of your favorite movies. You know, sit back and relax together... How does _The Notebook_ sound?"

_"The Notebook? _You'd rather sit with me and watch some sappy, romantic film? Why?"

"Why not?" he chuckled while shrugging his shoulders. "Why not watch a sappy, romantic film when I get to spend the rest of my evening snuggling up to my Sweetheart?"

Finally, a giggle burst from my lips as he pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much, Enriqué. You're such a gentleman for taking care of me," I murmured as my boyfriend dropped a kiss at the top of my head.

"No problem, Sweetheart. Anything to make you happy," he smiled.

Maybe I had been overreacting over nothing. I believed Enriqué when he told me that all he'd planned to do with me was watch a movie.

_Like he said, all we're going to do is rent a movie and eat junk food. No big deal. It's not like we're going to do anything else besides that,_ I convinced myself.

Feeling slightly more relieved than before, I looked forward to our movie night with confidence as he led me to our hotel room.

"Room 263... Oh, here it is," he murmured to himself as we approached the row of doors lining the right side of the corridor.

He quickly inserted the key card into the metal slot of the door, and shuffled into the cool room once the tiny green light flashed. As I followed close behind, a shudder jolted my body, which sent goosebumps sprouting along my arms.

Apparently, my boyfriend had gone all out for this occasion and got us a luxurious suite for the evening. That was not all… There was only one bed.

"You cold?" Enriqué asked me after noticing my bout of shivers.

"A little."

Immediately, he stripped off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

"Here, I'll go turn off the air condition. Go change into something more comfortable while I order us some food."

"Alright... Oh, wait. I-I didn't bring any overnight clothes," I stammered.

"That's okay, baby. You can borrow some of my clothes," he gently insisted, resting his duffel bag onto the bed.

I stood off to the side, awkwardly fidgeting with the tulle skirt of my black party dress as he brought out a T-shirt and a pair of boxers.

"Thanks," I said, taking the clothes from his grip before heading toward the bathroom.

Although I could not predict how the rest of this night would play out, I sensed that my life was going to change one way or another. Once I'd made it to the privacy of the bathroom, I shut the door behind me and turned the lock.

I had no idea why I was so nervous about spending the night with him in a hotel suite. We were going to do nothing more than watch a movie. I doubted that we would end up having sex. The way the thought kept making its presence in my mind caused me to feel sick, but I trusted him no matter what.

Eventually I pushed off of the door and reached behind my back to pull down the zipper, but groaned to myself when I realized I couldn't reach. My arm wasn't flexible enough, and grew uncomfortable as it remained in its bent position. I'd wanted to avoid an unwanted run-in with Enriqué while I was undressing, but I knew that I had no choice.

I pulled the door open a crack and stole a peek outside. Standing at the foot of the bed, Enriqué was busy talking on the hotel phone. He couldn't spot me because his back had been turned.

"Um, Quique?" I called timidly.

He spun around holding the receiver to his ear as he glanced back at me.

"Something wrong, Sweetheart?"

"No, I just need help with something."

"Hold on. I'll be right there."

Once he finished placing his order, Enriqué quickly hung up and strolled towards me.

"What is it you need help with?" he asked.

After letting him into the bathroom, I turned around to give him easy access to the back of my dress.

"It's my dress. I can't reach the zipper."

I slipped the straps from my shoulders and held the dress against my chest to keep it from falling to the floor. A shudder climbed up my spine as I felt Enriqué's fingertips press into my lower back. I could feel my face burning once the dress dropped slightly, revealing the top half of my black, lacy underwear. My dimples must have been an awful temptation.

He awkwardly cleared his throat and stammered, "Th-there you go."

"Thanks."

We avoided gazes as he quickly shuffled through the door, and only then did I release a sigh of relief. As I began to shake out the wrinkles in my boyfriend's clothes, a sudden bad feeling in the pit of my stomach caused me to wonder what his motive was for bringing me to this fancy hotel.

If he was looking for sex, was he going to overpower me and take advantage of me or try to lure me into having sex with him?

_No!_ my brain replied scoldingly. _Enriqué would never try to hurt me in any way. He loves me very much, and maybe sex isn't his ulterior motive. But if it is perhaps he simply wants to prove his affection to me._

I trusted that he would not try to hurt me, and I trusted myself. But was I ready? A soft knock on the door broke me from my unsure reverie, and I jumped once I heard his voice.

"Raquél, Sweetheart... Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm almost out," I called while rushing to slip the oversized garments onto my body.

I opened the door to find Enriqué sitting at the foot of the bed opening a DVD case. I was not certain if I had been seeing things, but he seemed slightly disheartened and somewhat distant. Before I would ask him what was wrong, I just wanted to know the truth first.

He stood up and grinned once I approached him.

"Well, don't you look cute wearing my clothes?"

It didn't take him long to notice the tense expression etched in my features, and his smile slowly fell.

"What's the matter…?"

"What's the real reason you have for bringing me here?"

For a moment, Enriqué looked as if he was going to be sick, but then let out a long sigh instead.

"Sweetheart—" he started, only to be cut off by my blunt question.

"Did you bring me here to have sex with me?"

_"What?_ No, of course not. It wasn't my intention, but I'm so sorry if I made you think otherwise by bringing you here. I'm sorry, baby girl," he apologized before pulling me into his arms.

"I-I just thought that since this day was such a special one for you, both of us would..."

"Be ready?" I finished for him.

Anxiously, Enriqué responded with a slight nod. I let out an indecisive sigh before taking a seat on the bed.

"I'm kind of on the fence with this one because I'm not sure what I should do. I mean, it's just so sudden," I admitted.

"It's my fault for assuming that you were. Again, I'm so sorry, Raquél. I didn't know."

Perhaps he had been beating himself up too much over the situation. But I forgave him, of course. I kissed the tip of his nose and smiled.

"It's okay, Enriqué. I'm not mad if that's what you're thinking. I love you."

Relieved, my boyfriend brought me into another warm embrace and planted a kiss against my forehead. "I love you, too, Sweetheart. Now, come on. Let's watch our movie," he added with a light chuckle.

I settled back onto the soft pillows once he placed the DVD into the disc player and climbed onto the bed. He crawled beside me and pulled me close while draping the duvet over our tangled legs. I sighed contentedly and snuggled up to Enriqué, resting my head onto his chest.

For the duration of the movie, my thoughts kept drifting back to our conversation, and what I said about being on the fence. That very moment was the perfect time to have sex. We were two unsupervised adolescents in a hotel room. There I was lying in his arms on a bed watching one of the most romantic films ever made, and yet I was too scared to make a move. How did one "start" sex? I'd feel embarrassed taking off my clothes in front of a man. For one thing, I wouldn't know what to do.

Enriqué was 20 years old and I had just made 15. What he considered sophisticated and arousing was completely foreign to me. What would he think of me if I wasn't confident enough or if I didn't know how to satisfy him? I had been anticipating the moment when Enriqué would make love to me, but I just wasn't sure of my feelings. I was scared.

But why should I have been scared if the man I loved wanted to make love to me?

My heart wanted him, but my mind was telling me otherwise. If I followed my mind instead of my heart, I knew that I'd regret my decision later on. But if I followed my heart, which was what I desperately wanted to do, who knew? Perhaps our relationship would blossom into something more than just a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. I was sure of it.

Eventually room service had arrived with our snacks, and Enriqué jumped up to collect the food before resting it on the nearby desk.

While his back was turned, I quickly grabbed the bag of jumbo marshmallows and hid them behind my back. When he spun around, he paused, immediately suspecting that I was up to something.

"What are you hiding, Raquél?" he questioned skeptically.

"Nothing," I replied innocently, trying to suppress an oncoming grin.

"You can't fool me, you know."

Thinking quickly, I tucked the bag of marshmallows beneath the pillow behind my back and raised my palms in defense.

"What? I don't have anything. My hands are empty, see?"

Once he turned back to lock the door, I tore a small hole into the bag and plucked out two marshmallows.

"Sweetheart..." Enriqué began sternly, though he couldn't help letting a stifled laugh escape.

I backed up once he slowly approached the bed, grinning at my cuteness.

"You know what, Raquél? You are one crazy little girl... I know that you're hiding something."

Finally, I let out a giggle and threw the two marshmallows at his chest.

With the stealth of a panther, my boyfriend quickly leapt onto the bed, reaching for the bag that rest beneath the pillow. Not wanting to become a target, I grabbed the edge of the bag just as Enriqué took hold of the other side; and we soon became caught up in an intense game of tug-of-war. Both of us tugged at each end of the bag, pulling it harder and harder until... POP! The plastic bag burst open, sending the marshmallows flying everywhere.

"Quique, look what you did! I was going to eat those," I whined.

I gasped in shock once he gathered a handful of the treats and pelted me with them, collapsing against the edge of the bed in laughter as they bounced off my body.

"Ugh, Enriqué! That's not funny!"

But my boyfriend continued to laugh even as I kept hitting him with the marshmallows to silence him. Then I grabbed the pillow beside me and whacked him over the head with it, which immediately caused him to stop. That was when I knew that I was in trouble.

"Oh, you are so going to get it," he replied with a playful glare, and lunged at me.

Before he could grab my ankle, I jumped off of the bed, which caused his forehead to collide with the headboard as he landed in the empty spot.

"Oww," he groaned in pain, but the incident hardly fazed him.

He quickly recovered, hopped back to his feet and continued to chase me around the room while I squealed with laughter. I knew that being a slow runner had gotten me in trouble on several occasions, so I was not surprised once he wrapped his arms around my waist. Either way, I was in good hands.

Enriqué easily caught me and tossed me onto the bed, trapping me in his strong arms.

"That's not fair! You should've given me a head start," I said, playfully smacking him on the chest.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you're a slow runner," he chuckled.

Shooting him a dark glare, I swiftly pushed him off of me. As he landed on his back near the foot of the bed, I quickly straddled his torso and pinned his arms down to prevent him from moving.

I leaned close to his face and whispered, "And it's not my fault you can't take it like a man."

For a moment, our attention had been caught by the adorable scene between Allie and Noah, where she dashed into the water on the abandoned beach they'd snuck off to. As she began to tread backwards into the oncoming waves, she asked Noah if he had ever wondered if someone could be reincarnated into a bird after they died. He didn't answer, but watched Allie as she joyfully spun around in circles, sighing to herself in contentment.

"Say 'I'm a bird...' Say it," she countered teasingly, flapping her arms in the most silliest manner.

She then squealed aloud, ran towards him and hooked legs around his torso.

"I'm a bird," Noah replied half-heartedly, before giving Allie a short kiss.

He took a long pause as he gazed into her eyes, searching the depths of her soul for anything that would explain the immense love he felt for her.

"If you're a bird... I'm a bird," he said.

Once again, Noah's lips caught hers in a passionate kiss, and they were nearly swept away by a small tidal wave.

I glanced down at Enriqué with a slight smile, and only then did I realize that I had been sitting on top of him for the past minute. My cheeks flamed scarlet once I slipped off of the bed and smoothed out my clothes.

"S-Sorry," I murmured awkwardly, staring at the ground.

The room fell unbearably silent as he slowly sat up on the bed and observed me for a moment. I didn't know why I felt so humiliated in front of him. Before I could try to escape in total mortification, Enriqué crawled towards me and lifted my chin with his finger, letting our eyes meet.

"Hey, look at me. It's okay. You don't have to feel embarrassed, Sweetheart," he whispered.

"I know, but I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything..."

"Shh, don't worry. I'm not uncomfortable at all. It's fine."

He managed to get the slightest grin out of me as he caressed my face.

"I love you," I responded softly.

His face broke into a smile at my reply, and he leaned forward to give me a gentle peck.

"I love you, Raquél. Come on, let's enjoy the rest of this movie and then we can call it a night, alright?"

I couldn't help a giggle as Enriqué scooped me into his arms lifted me back onto the bed. I settled onto his lap and let my head fall back against his chest. We continued to enjoy the rest of the movie in comfortable silence while feeding each other popcorn and exchanging short, affectionate kisses.

Yet again, we were rendered silent once the love scene between Allie and Noah unfolded. They had escaped to an abandoned barn late at night in hopes of making love. She had been slightly nervous about removing her clothes in front of him, so he decided to remove his clothes while she followed, both alternating turns.

I sensed that I would have the same problem with my boyfriend. As the couple began their heated makeout session, Enriqué's grip around my shoulders gently tightened. He must have known how sensitive I felt about the whole situation, but I knew that he was as good as ready to lose his virginity to me.

Near the end of the movie I'd sat up to remove the uncomfortable hairpins that had been poking my scalp all day; but I had no such luck as they wouldn't budge. Enriqué noticed me struggling with the pins and gently pried my hands from my hair.

"Here, let me help you with those, Sweetheart."

As if he had been an old pro, he easily removed all of the pins, letting my curls tumble over my shoulders.

"There you go..." he replied, and seemed to become mesmerized by my appearance.

My cheeks burned as he tucked a loose curl behind my ear.

"God, you're beautiful."

As we turned our attention back to the television, he began to rake his fingers across my scalp before combing them through my hair, and occasionally paused to plant a kiss at the top of my head.

The sensation caused shivers to go up my spine, and left my toes tingling and my heart racing. It felt so good; I could not help a pleasured sigh. My emotions were starting to take over, and the agonizing temptation was almost killing me. I just had to make my move.

Once his palms swooped down to repeat the massage, I quickly grasped his wrists to stop him.

"Enriqué?" I started inaudibly.

"Yes, baby girl?"

The atmosphere in the room seemed to thicken, making it difficult for me to keep a steady breath. My chest rose and fell rapidly, and I thought that I was going to pass out before I could get a word out. I was almost hyperventilating at that moment, but somehow I managed to keep my composure before taking a deep breath.

"I'm ready," I whispered to him.

His face suddenly drained of all color, making him look as white as a ghost as his eyebrows anxiously knitted together.

"You... You're ready?" he stammered.

Slowly turning over in his arms, I took his hand and nodded with as much certainty as I'd ever had.

"Yes, I am. I love you so much, and you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment with you," I replied, tears gathering in my eyes.

Enriqué quickly used the pad of his thumb to wipe my tears as I began to cry.

"Why are you crying, Sweetheart? Tell me."

"I'm so sorry! I was so stupid to listen to that jerk. I should've waited... I wanted you to be my first."

"No, you're not stupid at all. But you will be my first, and that's all that matters to me," he said.

"This moment would be so much more special if I hadn't already lost my virginity. If I could take back what happened between me and Carlos, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"That shouldn't count, Sweetheart. All that that monster's ever done to you was hurt you. He doesn't care about you or love you like I do._ I_ love you, Raquél. It doesn't change the way I feel about you just because he took your virginity."

Touched, I couldn't help but think that he deserved much better than what I had to offer.

"I love you, too. But why me?" I asked.

"That shouldn't even be a question. You are my entire world, Raquél—you're the only one for me, Raquél. And just so you know, I'm not doing this because I'm some creep who wants to take advantage of you. I'm doing this because I love you with all of my heart. I would do anything, anything to make you happy. Remember that I'll never hurt you for as long as I live. I promise," he spoke gently, and captured my lips in a soft, lingering kiss.

The tender kiss soon escalated into an intense makeout session. Enriqué's tongue glided across my bottom lip and tunneled deep into my mouth. A small whimper rose from my throat as his smooth hands began to wander beneath my oversized top, exploring every curve of my waist and abdomen. Before they could move down to pull the shirt over my head, I grabbed his wrists to prevent him from going any further.

"W-wait, stop," I panted after breaking the kiss. "I don't want to do it like this."

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Did I scare you?"

"Well, no. It's just that I'm a little uncomfortable with you taking off my clothes. I want to take this slow."

"Hey, it's okay. I completely understand," he said, and suddenly glanced at the television.

"I know what we can do."

Hesitantly, I stood up from the bed and watched my boyfriend as he shut off the DVD player. "Now stand on the opposite side of the bed and stay there," he instructed while making his way over to the other side of the room.

"What are you planning to do?"

"We're going to do this just like we saw in the movie. I'm going to remove a piece of my clothing and then you follow. We'll do it back and forth so you won't feel as nervous, okay?"

"Um, o-okay," I stammered anxiously.

Enriqué started first by slipping his white T-Shirt over his head, revealing his large biceps and taut, powerful abdomen. He then silently tossed the article in the middle of the floor. I would have fallen weak in the knees had I not been on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

My heart thudding dangerously in my chest, I hesitantly grasped the hem of my loose top and slowly tugged it from my body. Following the anxious removal, Enriqué untied the knotted drawstrings of his baggy shorts, which caused the temperature in the room to spike once they crumpled at his ankles.

"Go ahead," he gently encouraged me.

While Enriqué was left standing only in his boxer shorts, I had three items left to discard: my shorts, my bra and—what I feared the most getting rid of— my panties. I decided to kill two birds with one stone before stripping completely nude.

First I quickly shimmied the pair of boxers down my legs before kicking them from my feet. The pile of clothing on the carpet grew larger each time. Nearly hesitating, I drew in a deep, trembling breath as I reached behind my back to unhook my bra.

My insecurities resurfaced, forcing my gaze down to the floor. But amidst the stifling silence, I could hear Enriqué's breath hitch in his throat.

My face burned and my heart continued to race as we simultaneously dropped our underwear. Tears threatened to fall beneath his gaze, and I kept my eyes remained on my fidgeting hands. I was almost certain that I would suffer from a panic attack.

"Wow," I heard him breathe, which encouraged me to finally look up.

I had never seen anything as incredible as Enriqué's perfect physique. My legs trembled beneath me as I took in sight of his body, which resembled that of a gorgeous chiseled sculpture. To my surprise I had not expected him to be so well-endowed, and I found myself taking a small, intimidated step backwards.

His eyes traveled down the length of my body, gleaming with desire. Not in the hungry, lustful way I'd secretly expected, but with passion and affection. The loving gaze made me feel at peace with myself. Enriqué stepped towards me and gently took me by the hands.

"My God, you... You're beautiful, Raquél," he whispered, still in disbelief.

He tilted my chin upwards and gazed deep into my eyes. I knew that he meant it.

"I-I am?" I stammered.

"You're absolutely breathtaking. I mean... I-I've never seen anyone as amazing," he murmured against my knuckles, pressing a kiss to each of them. "You ready?"

I nodded slowly, not because I was still hesitant, but because I knew that our relationship was going to gain a much deeper meaning from the experience we would soon share.

"All right, hold on." Enriqué gently lifted me into his arms and carried me bridal-style towards the bed.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sweetheart? We don't have to if you feel like you should," he questioned softly as he hovered over my naked body.

"There's nothing else I want to do... I love you, Enriqué. I want to do this."

A warm grin rose on his lips, and he leaned down to kiss me.

"I love you, too. Now just take a deep breath and relax, okay? And please don't hesitate to tell me if it hurts because I really don't want to see you in pain."

The size of his member was nearly enough to convince me to rethink my decision, but I had never felt so sure of myself knowing that he wanted to make love to me. After I responded with another nod, I did as he told me and quickly found myself growing aroused once he gently planted my legs on each side of my hips. His penis was completely erect at that point, and I braced myself as he climbed onto the bed to position himself over me.

As the thick tip gently prodded my slick opening, excited butterflies began to flutter in the pit of my stomach. An inaudible gasp blew from my lips at the mind-numbing sensation. Although Enriqué had not yet entered me, it was the most incredible feeling I'd ever experienced. Finally, as he cautiously pushed into me, my spine curved into an arch and my palms gently gripped the bedsheets. My eyes fluttered shut in bliss as I felt myself stretching around his hardness, embracing him.

But I never made a sound. Not only did I fear humiliating myself by moaning or calling out, but I was self-conscious about letting him hear how pleasurable it was for me. He sensed my fear and gave me the reassurance that there was no need to be ashamed.

"I won't hurt you, Raquél. It's okay to let it out," he encouraged me, starting his thrusts at a gradual pace.

I loved the feeling of his palms caressing and massaging my thighs, which slowly moved up to clamp around my waist. For a moment he removed one hand to grab the pillow from the headboard, and carefully tucked it beneath my back for support. Only once his thrusts forced his length deeper into me, my emotions took control. A quiet whimper parted my lips as I grasped the pillow between my fingers. Usually I would've gone red in the face for making such a foreign sound, but I couldn't deny how sexy I felt in his presence.

The sight of my body jerking back and forth, my ample breasts exposed for only his eyes to feast upon; and my swept back curls that spilled over the mattress must have been tempting.

"Oh, Sweetheart you're so beautiful," he groaned above me before quickening his pace.

My blissful moans repeated automatically, which would shudder and rasp with each deep stroke Enriqué delivered. While chanting how much he loved me, he grasped my palm that rest on my stomach and placed it against his chest so that I could feel his heart thumping.

Although my eyes were shut, every sound and pleasurable movement became forever engraved in my memory: the shuddering, labored breaths of my boyfriend and his heavy yet gentle thrusts; my own gasping moans; our racing heartbeats; the crisp shuffle of the duvet beneath my rocking body; the bed thumping against the wall; his warm fingertips pressing into my stomach; the squeaking bedsprings; the quiet smack of our lips and the passionate caress of his tongue as he leaned down to kiss me. Once he broke the kiss tucking my curls away, I lifted my lids to reveal my heated green irises to him.

"Wow... I still can't believe how gorgeous you are. Your eyes are piercing right through me," he chuckled softly.

Quietly, I watched his features contort with pleasure above me, and the way his abdomen would contract in sync with his thrusts as our lovemaking intensified.

"I love you," he whispered huskily before capturing my lips in another affectionate kiss.

"I love you, too, baby," I gasped against his lips.

Amazingly, I felt no pain once the level of penetration deepened, but it rendered my body weak with pleasure. During the steamy makeout session, I tried to recall my first orgasm when I lost my virginity to Carlos. Sure enough there were fireworks, and I felt as if my soul had burst free from my body. But it was prompted by deception and lust, a stark contrast to the love, protection and acceptance Enriqué showered me with.

To my surprise, as well as Enriqué's, I began to sob quietly. Thinking that something was wrong, he quickly pulled out of me in a state of near panic.

"What's wrong, Sweetheart? Did I hurt you?" he questioned, lifting me from the pillow.

Too emotional to speak, I did not reply immediately, and Enriqué worked to wipe away my tears.

"Raquél, you're scaring me. Please tell me why you're crying."

His palms tightly clutched my shoulders, and gently shook me in hopes of getting a response.

"N-no, I'm fine. It's just that..."

"Tell me, Raquél."

Finally, I took in a deep breath before speaking from the heart.

"You're so good to me, Enriqué. And, I don't know—I just got emotional because I know how special this night was to you, and you love me so much that you wanted to lose your virginity to me. That just means the world to me. You have no idea how much I love you; I don't ever want this to end."

My tears never ceased as the man I loved engulfed me in his arms and held me tight.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart. But this is never going to end. In fact, this relationship is just getting started..." he trailed off, but I didn't think much of it because I thought that he'd finished his statement.

Enriqué tilted my chin upwards so that our eyes met, and he gave me a short, sweet peck.

"Don't cry, Beautiful," he murmured huskily, and carefully rested me back onto the mattress.

A deep shade of crimson heated the surface of my face once Enriqué let his hands settle on each of my thighs, massaging them before resuming his powerful thrusts. The incredible sensations returned with a vengeance, and I became a writhing doll under his captivating spell.

After months of timidity, curiosity and assurance, that very moment represented the bottled-up passion we finally had the chance to release. His large, hovering frame was an impenetrable shield of muscle that protected me with nothing but devotion and acceptance. I held onto my protector with all the strength I had, and pressed my ear to his chest, listening to the very thing that held the hope of fulfilled promises and unconditional love. I yearned for our souls to touch.

"I want you deeper. Hold me... please," I pleaded, raking my fingernails across his back in hunger.

Without a word, Enriqué lifted me from the pillow and embraced me in his arms as I locked my legs around his waist. This sent my emotions spiraling out of control; so much so that I found myself suppressing a pleasured scream. We both lusted for an unforgettable end, and the only indication I received of his approaching climax was the frantic movement he created between our conjoint bodies.

This was it: the life-changing moment we'd share as a couple that would determine the depth and significance of our relationship. I prepared for the oncoming detonation while the miniscule buzz of electricity ballooned into a flood of sensations and reactions. Like a volcano on the verge of eruption, a billowing of pressure stirred deep within my core, and my heart raced faster than a herd of wild stallions. I felt as if I was going to burst, and the feeling soon became mutual with Enriqué.

At the point of no return, we both cried out in absolute rapture, blasting ourselves into a galaxy of white-hot stars and planets. In my stomach raged a labyrinth of butterflies that escaped from my body in shuddering gasps. My fingernails sunk deep into my lover's bicep as we rode out the swells of our mutual orgasms, and although my limbs had grown heavy and limp, I felt as though I were floating on a cloud.

Lingering surges of electricity still buzzed in my senses once Enriqué held me close, releasing his copious seed into me.

Finally, I opened my eyes to meet his gaze only to find his own glowing with adoration. A great exhaustion came over my quivering body as he caressed my face.

"I love you, Raquél... I'll always," he declared tenderly, before capturing my lips in a passionate kiss.

Sighing in contentment, I laced my fingers between his once he pulled me against his sweat-drenched body. I traced my other hand along his features, wondering how someone so perfect had so much love for someone like me.

"You're so beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful," I whispered.

"If I'm beautiful, then you're more than beautiful... Words can't express how amazing you are."

"I love you, too, Enriqué. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and this night with you has just been so magical. There's no other person I'd rather spend my birthday with than you."

Our legs rest intertwined beneath the duvet as I began to doze in his warm embrace.

I quickly succumbed to a deep slumber, wrapped up in the arms of the man I knew would become my husband someday.

**The next chapter will also be a super-special one and I promise it won't take as long as this. Please tell me what you think and I'll post ASAP! P.S. check out the dress in my profile! **


	31. Dreams

**This is the exciting 31****st**** installment of this wonderful story and I couldn't be happier to post it. There's a precious surprise waiting so read and tell me what you think! Enjoy! **

**Chapter 31: Dreams**

**Enriqué**

Later that night, I continued to gaze lovingly at my girlfriend as she slept peacefully. My fingers delicately stroked the loose curls that remained draped across her bare back.

Losing my virginity to Raquél was all I had ever hoped for and more. The sheer perfection of her curved figure, the sparkle of her striking green eyes, and the innocent pout of her lips remained etched in my thoughts.

Lying in my arms was my whole future, yet the phone call I received earlier forced me to come to a heartbreaking conclusion. I lay wide awake dreading the long months that were ahead of me—the months I would have to spend without my Sweetheart. My mother had called to inform me about the great news and although I was excited, I realized that the moment was bittersweet.

As my gaze drifted towards the other side of the room, the gift I planned to give her in the morning rest tucked away in my duffel bag. With that gift, I was going to make the most heartfelt promise to her, one that would alter the very essence of our relationship. But I couldn't help looking forward to the next day in slight sadness.

A wary grin rose on my lips as I observed her beautiful, contented face.

_How am I going to tell her? She's going to be so heartbroken,_ I thought, sighing miserably.

I grasped the curled fist that rest on my abdomen and pressed a gentle kiss to it.

"I love you, Raquél. I don't want to leave you... but I have to," I whispered to her.

As my girlfriend began to shift in her sleep, she let out a soft moan and relaxed again once I brushed a finger down her cheek.

"Enriqué," she murmured faintly, while her palm automatically moved up to rest on my heart.

Before succumbing to my own exhaustion, I placed my hand over hers and pulled her close.

"Sweet dreams, Ángelita."

**~RMCR~**

**The Next Morning**

I was stirred by the distant honk of a passing semi-truck, and woke up blinking away the sunlight that bear down on my face. That was when I realized that my cell phone had been ringing all morning, and once I carefully broke free of my girlfriend's grip I found that the caller was my mother.

Knowing why she kept calling me, I couldn't help releasing a stressed sigh. I was in no mood to hear my parents gush all over again about the "good news" they'd received. But I couldn't ignore my mother.

"Yes, Mom?" I answered the phone in a lifeless tone.

"Good morning, _mijito._ I just wanted to know when you and Raquél were planning on coming home."

"When wakes up we're probably going to get breakfast and head back. Why?"

"Well, you may have to get here a little earlier. We have more good news for you. Your father just got off the phone with the administrative office and they've decided to let you come down on Sunday!" my mother said, unable to control her excitement.

But I couldn't contain my disbelief.

"Sunday? _This _Sunday? But Mom that's four days away—I need more time!"

Jumping to my feet in frustration, I stepped into the next room to avoid waking Raquél.

"Wait a minute, so you're not excited to be attending the University of Miami? I thought that getting their football scholarship was your dream."

"It-it is my dream, but... I happen to have another dream in mind," I replied softly, glancing back at the sleeping girl.

"Look honey, I know that she means the world to you. Believe me, we love her, too. But this opportunity is never going to be available to you again. We already said 'yes' to them and they'll be expecting you by Sunday."

"But you know that I don't want to leave Raquél. I applied for the scholarship because I thought that I'd have a good shot at it in my Senior year, but I didn't think that they would've accepted me this soon. School hasn't even started yet!"

"I know that you're not ready to leave her just yet, but think about it this way: being away from her won't hurt your relationship. Your future is all set at this college. And remember, absence makes the heart..."

"Grow fonder," I finished exasperatedly, rolling my eyes.

Although I couldn't deny that my mother was right, it was going to be painful telling Raquél about my decision.

"Okay, then. We'll be there soon, I guess. _Te quiero, Mamá."_

"I love you, too, honey."

"I'll see you soon," I sighed before the line clicked off.

Outraged at the cruel twist of fate, I slammed my fists against the wall and ran my hands through my hair, not knowing what to do.

That was when a faint moan drew me back to the bedroom, followed by a sleepy sigh.

"Baby, where are you?"

Once I returned to the room and paused in the doorway, my breath hitched in my throat at the gorgeous sight I'd come across.

Shifting beneath the duvet, Raquél rolled onto her stomach and gazed at me in coy silence. As streams sunlight poured through the windows, her skin became illuminated and her emeralds sparkled brilliantly. There she lie in her radiant, natural glory, her bare figure strewn across the bed only for my eyes to feast upon. Her tousled curls cascaded over her right shoulder, tumbling onto the mattress. The upturned curve on her plump lips and the gentle rose hue staining her cheeks made me hunger for another intimate exploration.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," I began huskily.

Holding back a grin, my girlfriend bit her bottom lip and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. She had no idea what the innocent gesture did to me.

"Good morning."

Eager to feel her lips against mine, I sat on her side of the bed and placed a lingering kiss on them.

"You look extra stunning this morning... Did you sleep well?"

Without a word, glanced down at her hands and nodded shyly.

"Mm-hm."

"Come here, Angel."

As Raquél crawled into my arms, I buried my nose into her sweet-smelling curls and let my palms gently massage her back. In my embrace, she relaxed against my body and placed her head against my chest.

I couldn't bear it. I didn't want to leave my Sweetheart.

"God, I love you so much," I whispered against her delicate skin, swallowing the burning lump that rose from my chest.

I couldn't break down now. I knew that I had to stay strong for her sake.

"I love you, too, Enriqué. And last night was absolutely perfect and amazing. The way you held me and kissed me—made love to me... I'll never forget it. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful night."

I let out a sigh of guilt once Raquél wound her arms tightly around my neck before planting a kiss on my lips. It was upsetting to think that I would have to ruin this moment by telling her about my college acceptance. But I couldn't keep it in any longer.

A shudder rattled up my spine as I suddenly felt her lips latch onto my jawline.

"I don't know what you've done to me, but after last night... I'm not so shy anymore. I want you to make love to me again and again," she said endearingly, which I found to be terribly enticing.

My distressed thoughts grew hazed once my naked girlfriend wrestled me onto the bed, pinning my arms down while belting a playful giggle. As much as I wanted to fulfill her wishes, I knew that it was not the right time to leave her thinking that she'd been taken advantage of.

Knowing that I would be unable to recover if she gained the upper hand and straddled me, I quickly sat up before she could start to kiss me. She immediately sensed that something was wrong and slowly pulled away.

"What's wrong?"

"I... It's just that—"

"Was it me? Did I do something wrong? Was I too forceful?" she began to ramble nervously.

"Sweetheart..."

"I'm so sorry, Enriqué. I-I didn't mean to—"

"Raquél!" I nearly shouted, gripping her shoulders to get her attention.

"What is it, then?"

It was now or never. Hopefully, telling her the truth would not spoil my impending plans.

"Last night when you were changing in the bathroom, I got a phone call from my mother... Turns out that I got the scholarship. I'm going to Miami."

Raquél was pretty sure she knew what I was talking about, but she refused to believe it.

"What do you mean you got the scholarship?"

"The University of Miami thought that I was qualified enough for their school and they're letting me attend college on a football scholarship," I replied sadly.

She shook her head in disbelief, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"But you can't leave. Not now. What about finishing high school and graduating? You haven't even started your Senior year."

"They're going to send me my diploma through the mail. Everything is already confirmed and paid for. The University wants me to come down as soon as possible."

"How soon?" she asked fearfully, tears spilling from her eyes.

Silently, tore my gaze away in remorse as I felt her fingers constrict around my forearm. I could almost hear her heart shattering. Little did she know that my heart was also breaking.

"How soon, Enriqué? Tell me. Please, tell me," she pleaded with a sob, while guiding my face back to hers.

Finally, a tense sigh blew from my lips, and I rubbed a hand over my face before forcing a reluctant reply.

"Sunday, in four days. I'm leaving on Sunday."

"Sunday? No... No, that's too soon. You can't leave me!" she suddenly yelled, pushing me away.

"Raquél, please try to understand—"

In an effort to console my girlfriend, I stood up to embrace her a second time, only to have her back away in outrage.

"No! Stay away from me! Your mom told you last night and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want you to stay up all night worrying. I honestly had no idea that they would even consider me, much less accept me. But don't think that I'm not upset by all this. I don't want to leave you either," I argued gently.

"If you really loved me you'd stay here with me, not go to Miami to play some stupid football! You don't care enough about me to stay here and finish high school. And there are plenty of good colleges here. What's wrong with the colleges here?"

"I do love you, Raquél. With all my heart. But you're not letting me explain. It's not about the football; it's about me finishing my education so that I'll have a set future. My parents want me to get a higher education elsewhere, but now that you're in my life there's been a change of plans," I explained.

"What change? What does going away to Miami have to do with us? It doesn't matter because you're still going to leave me here, alone. You promised that you would never hurt me..."

My heart began to ache painfully as her petite body trembled with sobs. Watching her crumble in front of me caused me more anguish than she would ever know.

"Sweetheart, you are part of the plan."

"Was bringing me here also part of 'the plan?'" she suddenly insinuated angrily.

"We talked about this last night. For the last time, I did not bring you here to take advantage of you. If you would just give me time to explain..."

"No, no, you did! You did do this to take advantage of me. Now that you got what you wanted, you're going to leave, right?" Raquél accused while grabbing a towel to conceal her body. "Ugh, I can't believe you!"

She then collected her undergarments and advanced toward the bathroom. Finally caving to my impatience, I marched towards my hysterical girlfriend and stopped her from escaping.

"Look, Raquél, would you just listen? God, you're making this more complicated than it has to be!"

"Then tell me the truth! Tell me why you brought me to this hotel in the first place!" she demanded.

"I want to give you a good life!"

Her green eyes softened at my sudden declaration.

"What?"

Taking a seat on the bed, I sighed while coaxing her towards me.

"Come here, Sweetheart."

Sensing that her life was about to change in an instant, Raquél slowly made her way over. I lifted her onto my lap and held her close.

"You want to know the real reason I brought you here?" I began while gouging through my pocket.

Raquél glanced up at me in disbelief as I opened my palm to reveal a small, black velvet box.

"It was so that I could give you this."

"Y-You... You want to marry me?" she stammered.

"Yes, Sweetheart. I do want to marry you—not now, but in the near future. I'd be the happiest man alive if you'd be my wife."

She raised her hands to her lips in shock, gasping softly once I brought the lid upwards to reveal the sparkling Sapphire diamond ring.

"Oh, my God, Enriqué," she sobbed, her body trembling with anticipation as I slipped the ring onto her finger.

"This is a promise ring, and with this we both have to promise each other something. Promise me that you'll wear this ring every day and wear it proudly. Promise me that you'll continue to be the beautiful, happy and confident girl I know you to be. Promise me that you won't let anyone or anything stop you from achieving your dreams. I want you to think of me whenever you look at this ring and remember that I love you more than life itself. Know that you should never, and I mean _never_ give up on the person who matters most: you. And I promise that someday, we'll get married and I'll spend the rest of my life—no—all of eternity with you... Always and forever."

At that moment, my girlfriend began to convulse with sobs as she nodded firmly.

"I promise, Enriqué. Oh, my God, I-I still can't believe this is real. I love you so much," she sniffled, before engulfing me in a tight embrace.

The force of her weight caused me to topple over on the bed, and I quickly turned my head to the side to wipe a few tears of my own.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart," I whispered to her.

My tears of joy had not gone by unnoticed by Raquél, and she released a giggle as she brushed her thumb beneath my eyes.

"Aww, you're crying too?"

"Of course. You make me so happy and now I'm going to have to leave you, baby girl," I replied, tightening my grip around her.

"Ohh, you're so sweet, Quique. I'm going to miss you, too."

But she knew how serious I was once I laced my fingers between hers.

"But really, Sweetheart. I'm going to miss my home, my family... Especially you. But after we finish college in a few years and get married, I'll do everything possible to provide you with a good future. We'll have a great house, a car or two—everything," I said.

"Even though this isn't an official engagement, I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait either. But this is good because it gives us time to think about it while we're still young. Sounds like a plan?"

While observing her new ring in awe, Raquél nodded eagerly and squeezed my torso with another hug. The towel remained wrapped around her body as she stood up with a sigh. Distractedly, she began to trail her fingernails along the lamp post beside the bed.

"So, I guess I won't be seeing you for a long time after Sunday, huh?"

"I guess not. At least until Thanksgiving," I responded dismally.

Suddenly without hesitation, Raquél unfastened the knot in her towel, letting the article slip from her supple, goddess-like curves. I was rendered speechless as she slowly approached me before firmly cupping my face.

"Then make love to me again, Enriqué. And this time, make sure it's all worth leaving on Sunday," she whispered, her lips separating mine by mere inches.

Before I could lean in to taste their sweetness, she placed her hand against my chest, stopping me in my advance. Her cheeks grew a deep shade of crimson as her eyes drifted towards the bathroom.

"I haven't taken a shower this morning... Neither have you."

Quickly catching onto her hint, I carefully gathered my soon-to-be wife into my arms and carried her towards the bathroom.

From then on, my hopes and dreams for the future looked brighter than ever.

**~RMCR~**

**Raquél**

Despite our mutual protests, my boyfriend and I decided that it was time to head home.

But before checking out, we made a quick stop to the hotel café for breakfast. We retreated to the nearby balcony to enjoy each other's company and New York's beautiful summer weather.

But as much as Enriqué's approaching departure weighed heavily on my mind, I had never felt so loved knowing that he wanted to marry me. Never in my lifetime did I ever imagine myself having a potential life partner, especially before I realized that my insecurities were better off ignored, and before I realized that it was possible for me to find true love. Now that I was gazing at my future right in the eyes, my outlook on the rest of my life was clear as day.

Though I knew that I would have to accept his leaving sooner or later, I still found the news difficult to swallow.

Too disheartened to eat, I only pushed around remaining scraps of food on my plate. I knew that Enriqué hated seeing me so upset, yet what else was I supposed to feel? Eventually, he let out a sigh and grasped my palm before intertwining his fingers between mine.

"Please cheer up for me, Sweetheart. You're making me feel guilty about going off to college."

"No, don't feel guilty. Don't. I just... need some time to accept that you're leaving. I mean, it would be selfish of me to hold you back from pursuing your dreams. You wouldn't do that to me," I replied.

"You're not holding me back at all, trust me."

Doubting that he truly believed that I was changing his mind about going to college, I silently glanced over the balcony and down at the horde of pedestrians crossing the street.

"It doesn't seem that way to me... I mean, look at what we did last night. What if a few weeks later I'm throwing up over a toilet? Then what'll we do?"

Just then, Enriqué took my hand and gave it a gentle yet determined squeeze.

"If in a few weeks you are throwing up over a toilet, then I refuse to leave you to go through this by yourself—"

"No, Enriqué, you can't. I won't let you throw away an opportunity like this. Don't stay with me because it's what everyone expects you to do. Do what you feel is right."

"If you do become pregnant, raising a baby with you_ will_ feel right," he argued gently.

Growing emotional at the frightening possibility, I turned away from him as a stream of tears ran down my face.

"It doesn't feel right to me... I'm scared," I whimpered.

"Don't be scared, Sweetheart."

"How can you tell me not to be scared? We should've been more careful."

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We couldn't stop our emotions just like that. But don't worry; everything's going to be fine," he reassured me, yet I knew what could happen to our relationship if a baby were to come between us.

"Don't you get it, Enriqué?" I began quietly, hoping not to be heard by the guests surrounding us.

"A baby will ruin us! Don't you understand? Sure, we might be head over heels in love with each other now, but when we're struggling to provide food and clothes for our child, who's to say our relationship is going to last? I've seen it happen many times before."

"But we're not like other couples, Raquél. Do you actually think that I would abandon you and my own child? No, I would never! That would be selfish and heartless of me... Besides, what if there's a chance that you don't become pregnant?"

Incredulously, I gazed at my boyfriend in obvious frustration.

"We had sex without protection, Enriqué. Twice! I'm not on birth control and it would be impossible for me not to get pregnant. It's going to happen! Why can't you just accept that?" I said.

"And why can't you accept that I'll never hurt you?"

"All I'm saying is that you should've known what you were getting yourself into when you didn't come prepared."

"So, are you saying that you regret last night?" Enriqué questioned silently.

Hoping to keep my patience from wearing thin, I stood up from the table and headed for the nearest restroom.

"I need to be alone," I sighed, and escaped before his palm could wrap around my upper arm.

The powder room leading to both restrooms was empty, where I could worry in peace. Once there I sat on the cushioned bench and buried my face between my hands, not knowing what to do.

Although I wanted to be left alone at the moment, Enriqué reminded me that it wasn't what I really wanted. He knew that I needed him more than ever. I finally broke down as he lifted me onto his lap and held me tight.

"Look at us. We're arguing already... Enriqué, I don't regret the night before at all. In fact we made one of the most incredible memories together last night. I just wish that both of us were prepared. Now we might have to face the consequences with a baby on our hands," I wept.

"A baby isn't going to stop us from reaching our goals. Think of this as motivation to make our lives and her life even better," my boyfriend said, which made me pause in my lament.

"Her?"

"Uhh, or him."

"If I do become pregnant... you'd want a girl?"

The slightest grin crept onto his lips as he shrugged timidly.

"To be honest, I've always wanted my first child to be a girl," he admitted.

"Why?"

"So that I can hold her and protect her; wipe her tears when she gets hurt. For some reason I've always had a soft spot for baby girls. I think that father-daughter relationships are precious."

"Oh, Enriqué. That's so touching. But this possibility would be so much better if we were older and married. If I get pregnant now, I don't think I'll be able to face my mother. She won't forgive me at all. Ever since I hit puberty she's been doing everything in her power to prevent me from ending up like her. She's going to think that she failed at bringing me up right," I said miserably.

"But she did bring you up right, Raquél. You are the most compassionate, accomplished, strongest person I've ever known. Your mother shouldn't blame herself for anything, even if you become pregnant. I plan to marry you in the future, so if we have a baby right now I will love both of you and take care of you for as long as I live. I promise," he stated firmly.

"I know you will, Enriqué. I know."

My boyfriend and I spent the next few minutes embracing on that bench, no longer worried about what lie ahead.

In the upcoming years we had together we would get married, and come what may before or after, I knew that he would keep his promises no matter what.

**~RMCR~**

As Enriqué pulled to a stop in front of the house, I was reluctant to leave knowing that we did not have much time to spend together.

Putting on a brave face, I fought the oncoming tears and combed my fingers through his hair.

"Are you going to come by tomorrow?"

"You know I will, Sweetheart. And the day after that and after that, until I leave for Miami," he replied softly, while I gazed at my shimmering accessory.

"I know that. I just wanted to hear you say it again... How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Tell my parents that you wanted to propose to me," I said.

"For the past few months I've been trying to figure out the reason I love you so much, and I also wanted to show you. It was until four weeks ago when I finally decided what I wanted to do with my life. And since I have no idea why you make me feel so complete and happy, I decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life searching for the reason," Enriqué said earnestly. "No one, not even my family knew that I'd bought the ring until the night before your Quinceañera. It worked out perfectly because you were out like a light in your room. I called your parents, even Andre and his girlfriend over to my house to ask them for my blessing. And do you know what your father said to me?"

"What did he say?" I grinned, resting my head against his shoulder.

"Andre thanked me for treating you like you always deserved to be treated. He told me that he trusted me and that nothing would make him happier than walking you down the aisle one day. I got his full and complete blessing to marry you."

"And what was my mom's reaction?" I questioned as I fought back the emotional tears.

"Nothing. She stood up, walked towards me and hugged me tight. She said that she loved me like a son and kissed me on the cheeks. I'd say that she was pretty happy."

Succumbing to my unsteady emotions, I began to cry as Enriqué engulfed me in his arms. Knowing that my parents accepted his request to propose to me gave me all the more reason to appreciate the things they did for me, even if it would bring me closer to growing up.

"I'm glad you talked to them... Can you walk me upstairs?" I asked.

After giving me a kiss, Enriqué unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "I'd be honored."

During our stroll towards the building, I wondered if my mother and stepfather had guessed the outcome of me and Enriqué's impromptu escape from my party the night before.

The feelings of guilt slowly returned knowing that I broke my Quinceañera promises by having sex with a man and failing to remain pure until marriage. And if I were to become pregnant because of our lack of precaution, my family would not be the only people who'd be disappointed in me.

I admired my boyfriend for his bravery, because I was not sure if I could face my parents.

"You okay?" he asked gently.

"Me? Yeah, I'm—I'm fine, really."

Not entirely convinced, he shrugged as if to leave the decision to face my parents up to me.

"Okay, Sweetheart."

After I unlocked the front door, we carefully stepped into the foyer in search of my parents. Just when we thought that they were nowhere to be found, my heart leapt as Troy and my mother appeared from the bedroom.

"You two are here early," she began, partially surprised. "We thought you'd want to spend more time with Quique before he leaves."

"How did you...?"

"His parents called and told us earlier," my stepfather replied.

As the room fell silent, their eyes automatically drifted to our intertwined fingers, where my ring rest tightly secured.

"Congratulations, honey! When did you tell her?"

"This morning when we woke up. We both cried," Enriqué chuckled.

"Well, I'm so glad everything turned out the way you planned. We're definitely not worried because we know that you'll take good care of Raquél. It's obvious that you love our daughter as much as we do," my mother said, and extended her arms to offer him a hug.

"Thank you so much for letting me do this. It means the world to me."

"Sweetie, how do you feel about Enriqué going to Florida for college? Are you happy for him?"

"Of course I'm happy for him... I'm a little upset that he's not going to be here for a while, but he should be able to finish school without any distractions," I replied.

"Oh, no, Sweetheart. You're not a distraction to me. You are more like my motivation," my boyfriend declared, and dropped a peck at the top of my head.

I could only blush furiously as my parents smiled at me in admiration.

"Well, that's very sweet. When you're in Miami I'll make _you_ my motivation."

Despite my slight dismay, my mood brightened once Enriqué planted a kiss on my lips.

"What are we doing for tomorrow?"

"Anything you want, Sweetheart... But I have to go home now, all right?"

"Okay. I love you so much," I murmured.

"I love you, too."

Reluctantly, my boyfriend let go of my hand and headed for the door. Then he blew a kiss to me before disappearing into the corridor. Once he was gone, I sensed that my parents wanted to know what we'd done to keep ourselves occupied, and I was not about to lie to them.

"How was the rest of your night? Did you watch a movie or eat at a restaurant?" my mother asked.

I followed them into the dining room as I anxiously fidgeted. They sat to give me their undivided attention while sipping their coffee.

"Um, yeah, we did watch a movie. He took me to a hotel to spend the night with me."

Despite my clear statement of the hotel stay, they remained unfazed and waited for me to continue.

"Oh, that was nice of him. I bet you two spent all night eating junk food," my stepfather guessed with a chuckle.

"We did, actually. But there's more..." I trailed off hesitantly.

"What else, honey?"

"We had sex... Twice."

Finally, they finally looked up at me from their individual tasks in partial shock. I had secretly expected my mother to give me a proper tongue-lashing, yet I became confused when she only let out a sigh.

"Last night?"

"Last night and this morning, after he proposed. A-And we didn't use protection. I'm so sorry, Mom! It was just a spontaneous thing and we just—I didn't mean to! Please don't be mad at me," I rambled before bursting into tears.

Unexpectedly, she quickly approached me and engulfed me in her arms, trying her best to calm me.

"Oh-no, Angel. I'm not mad at you; I could never be mad at you," she replied soothingly as I cried on her chest.

"You should be."

"But I'm not, Raquél. In all honesty, I'm just a little disappointed in you two for not taking the proper precautions. You're a fifteen year old girl with a boyfriend who's much more mature than you. If anyone outside this family finds out, Enriqué could be sent to jail with or without our approval."

"I know."

I was able to look her right in the eyes as she tilted my chin upwards.

"But then again, I'm proud of you for telling us the truth. It was really responsible of you," she praised gently.

"Having sex without protection doesn't sound very responsible to me. After all you've done to keep me from becoming a teenage mother, I'm going to get pregnant for being so reckless," I murmured dismally.

"Well, I'm sure there's still time to salvage your youth while you can."

"I doubt that birth control pills will work at this point."

"Plan B will do for the moment, and birth control shots are much more effective than the pill. Come on, we're going to the pharmacy," my mother declared while taking my hand.

But before she could guide me towards the door, I quickly tugged her back and wrapped my arms around her.

"Thank you for understanding, Mami."

"There's nothing I _can_ do but understand. Don't worry, honey. You'll still get to live your dreams just like me."

I knew that the dream she was talking about was me, and nothing would ever change the pride and joy I felt of being her daughter.

**I absolutely love this chapter! Please review and I'll have the next chapter soon, which isn't as cheerful but still heartfelt. Also, check out the promise ring in my profile. It is stunning! Thank you for reading! **


	32. Happiness

**Wow, I am so late! I have been sooo busy with internship, prom, and graduation so lately that I haven't had much time to work on my stories. But trust me, I've been worrying about you guys during this past month. I decided to rush the rest of this before my graduation trip to Las Vegas because I will be gone for a few weeks. Hope I'm not talking to myself here but this is the last chapter of PART ONE of RMCR. It's far from over but I thought that it was fitting since Enriqué's leaving for college. Please stay tuned and bear with me (I'm also talking to you AFFMB readers!). Enjoy! **

**Chapter 32: Happiness**

**Enriqué**

To celebrate my acceptance to the University of Miami, my family had thrown a surprise party for me on my last night in New York. They invited everyone I knew for the occasion, which was going to work out perfectly since the majority of my guests knew nothing of my promise to Raquél.

She was quite distant that evening and as much as she tried to remain positive, reminders of my approaching departure kept her from enjoying the party.

"You okay, Raquél?" I asked my girlfriend once I found her chatting with my cousins.

For the first time, I could not read her eyes as she nodded to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Raquél glanced across my backyard to observe the dancing crowd and glanced down in guilt.

"No... This is our last night together and I should be enjoying it, not sulking in the corner," she said.

"Oh, it's okay, Sweetheart."

"No, it's not. I'd really love to get more comfortable but I don't know much of the guests here. Can you introduce me to them?"

The gleam of her ring beneath the lights gave me an idea of how to introduce her to everyone.

"Let's go to the deck," I suggested while guiding her to her feet.

But Raquél knew exactly what I was planning to do and quickly pulled me back.

"Up there in front of everyone? I thought that you were going to do it one at a time, not all at once!" she hissed.

"You don't have to speak. I'll be right there with you, holding your hand. Come on, Angel."

My gentle coaxing seemed to alleviate some of her nerves, but the rest was up to her. After taking a deep breath, she grasped my hand tightly and climbed the stairs leading to the deck.

"If I could have your attention, please? I have an announcement to make!" I called above the music, which immediately caught the attention of the guests.

I felt my girlfriend's grip on my hand tighten as all eyes shifted in our direction.

"I'm sure that some of you must've met this beautiful girl right here, but for those of you who haven't, this is Raquél Richmond. She's been my girlfriend for the past nine months, she's fifteen, and I love her with all my heart. We haven't been dating for long but she is just so incredible that I couldn't think of another way to express my love other than spending the rest of my life with her. I made a promise that I would marry her one day, so think of this as an unofficial engagement."

Unsurprisingly, they immediately welcomed her into the fold and broke into loud applause. Some of the women even approached Raquél and introduced themselves personally before asking to look at her ring. Eventually she became comfortable enough to dance among the dense crowd of people, no longer worried about their opinions of her.

It was inspiring to see how far she'd come.

I was going to miss her terribly once I would leave for Florida. When I first met her, she was shy, introverted; and occasionally put up a wall of defense to avoid getting hurt. Since she recently found out that I was worthy of her trust, she was unstoppable.

Raquél loved challenges, laughing and being playful, which never ceased to bring joy to my heart. She had a smile that brought joy to my soul, and emerald-green eyes that still caused me to freeze up in awe. She was intelligent, funny, sexy, charismatic and feisty—the perfect traits for a perfect girl. The same girl I was going to marry someday.

"Having fun, you two?" my sister questioned as she found us dancing on the patio.

"I definitely am. I mean, damn. Look at this girl dance… Go, Mami," I said jokingly, which earned me a slap on the arm courtesy of my girlfriend.

"Stop it! Of course we're having fun, Fátima. Too bad your brother can't stop groping me."

"Well, you don't seem to mind."

After a few seconds of thought, Raquél blushed and giggled, "You're right, I don't."

"Quique, Papa wants to see you in the living room... Says he has a surprise for you."

That was when I realized that the guests were starting to flock towards the house, and I quickly followed to investigate. My parents stood in front of the wide-screen television, apparently eager to reveal my gift to the guests and to me.

My father began with a brief speech.

"First of all, I'd just like to say that we are so proud of you for how far you've come from our little town in Cuba. When we brought you here we wanted to give you the best opportunities possible for your education, and you proved that working hard reaps the greatest rewards. Also, your mother and I couldn't be happier that you have met such an inspiring, beautiful little girl. It's amazing to think that you'll be a married man in a few years. We can't believe how fast you are growing up, yet you still remain true to yourself. College is a big, scary step for high school graduates, but we're confident that you'll make it through the next four years with the same strength, will and determination that you've always had. Congratulations, _mi hijo._ We love you."

As my parents stepped forward to embrace me, the guests broke into applause. Now with a lighter mood, my father turned to the television, which was connected to the computer's monitor screen.

"Since you're going to be staying with your cousin Mario, we figured that you wouldn't want to depend on him to get around Miami. Public transportation is nice but you deserve to travel in style... Take a look at what's waiting in your cousin's driveway."

He switched the television on, and only then did a photo of my cousin appear posing in front of a sports car. Behind him was the gorgeous red Chevy Corvette Grand Sport equipped with fender stripes, chrome wheels, sleek leather seats and GPS navigation **(in profile).** I would get to meet my car once I arrived in Miami.

At that moment, the only thoughts that ran through my mind were the cost of my extravagant gift.

"Oh, my God, thank you! This is a great present but—"

"But, nothing, _hijo._ I know what you're thinking. This is your parting gift for college and we're not about to let you refuse it," my mother said while planting a kiss on my cheek.

"If anyone deserves something like this, it's you. It's time you started putting yourself first for once."

"Well, thank you so much. And for the record, I'll never put myself before anyone. Taking care of the people I love is my first priority," I said while glancing down at Raquél, who smiled in response.

Although we were both happy to be together on our last night, I knew that tomorrow was going to be a completely different scene. I braced myself for a heart-wrenching departure the next day.

Nothing was going to be more painful than watching my girlfriend crumble to pieces.

**Later That Night**

**Raquél**

I landed on my bed with a long sigh of contemplation, the inevitable events of tomorrow lingering in my thoughts.

Enriqué was going to leave and there was nothing I could do to stop him. The tears were not flowing yet, but it was going to be a matter of time before I would use them up. Raising my hand toward the ceiling, I silently observed my ring as it sparkled beneath the light. Not only was it a symbol of the promise he made to marry me, but I now considered it a piece of him to hold onto while he was away.

He had given me such a special gift that I became inspired to give him a special token of my own. The problem was I had no idea if I'd kept a significant item in my possession.

But then it quickly came back to me: The locket.

Immediately I sprung to my feet and reached for the Mahogany jewelry chest that rest on top of my vanity. I opened the chest and fanned away the dust particles that danced around my face, releasing a sneeze in the process.

A smile of nostalgia and slight sadness crept onto my lips once I found the smooth, velvet cloth. Just as I'd left it, the sterling silver locket remained tucked away among other precious jewelry I kept in that cloth, its delicate chain pooling around the heart-shaped pendant. On the back were the engraved words that expressed the strong, undying feelings I had for Enriqué.

It was the same gift I had received from my Aunt Mary just moments before she passed away.

At the time I was only eight, but I remembered that fated day like it was yesterday...

_I did not know what was going on. _

_That morning my mother shook me out of my sweet dreams at 5:00, which I found strange since she had been sleeping until afternoon lately. Even as I kept asking where we were going, she never uttered a word. She didn't speak when we left the house, in the car or when we arrived at the hospital. _

_My hand never left her grip as we stepped onto an elevator and floated to the top. With her other hand she began to rub her enlarged stomach, and beside her I felt my baby brother or sister tumbling around in distress. Her eyes were no longer the vibrant emerald shade they usually were, but a murky, saturated green. _

_Something was wrong, but why wouldn't she talk to me? _

_Perhaps she was going to take me to get a shot. Maybe she was in labor. I decided to ask her just in case. _

_"Am I going to get a shot?" _

_"No," she whispered. _

_"Are you going to have the baby now?" _

_"No, _mi corazón._ I'm not having the baby at all." _

_"Then what are we here for?" _

_At that moment, I began to grow very worried as she knelt down to my height and looked deep into my eyes. _

_"We're visiting your great aunt. Remember when Papi and I told you that she's been sick for a long time?" _

_"Yes. You said that she had lung cancer," I said quietly. _

_"That's right. Now she's even sicker and she's in a lot of pain, so we have to be there to make her feel better," my mother explained. _

_"Is she going to be in pain forever?" _

_While shaking her head, a tear slipped down her cheek. Now I was scared. _

_"No, she won't. But I promise you that she'll be out of pain very soon, okay?" she whispered, and managed a weak smile. _

_Hoping to cheer her up, I used the palm of my hand to wipe away her tears. _

_"Why are you crying?" I asked. _

_"Because you father couldn't make it back. And Aunt Mary won't get to meet... Nevermind," my mother replied, rubbing her stomach once more. _

_"Don't worry, Mamá. She will get to see the baby. You just said that she'll be out of pain soon." _

_"You're right, Sweetheart... She will." _

_Just then, the elevator doors slid open and my mother guided me down the brightly lit corridor. We soon stepped into a room where several members of my mother and father's family were gathered around a bed. In the corner, my grandfather was holding onto a cross necklace and praying in Spanish. _

_The smell of disinfectant caused my stomach to turn, and I sensed an ominous edge in the air. _

_"How is she?" my mother asked after exchanging hugs with everyone. _

_"She's very weak and her health is declining fast... There's nothing more the doctors can do at the moment," my grandmother, Soledád replied discreetly. _

_The group of people parted as we began to approach the bed, I quickly froze in place at the frightening sight I'd come across. _

_Lying beneath the crisp sheet was my father's aunt, who looked as thin and frail as a corpse. Her head was completely shaven, and protruding from her hands was a mass of tangled wires hooked up to a beeping machine. From the tube that clung from her nostrils was her ventilation system, something my mother once told me helped people to breathe. _

_She hardly moved, but slowly opened her eyes to greet us. _

_"Gabriella, Raquél... How are you doing?" Aunt Mary managed to whisper. _

_With a wary smile, my mother gently took her by the hand and kissed her cheek. _

_"Great, we're doing great. How are you, _Tía?"

_"I have never been better, Gabriella. It's nice to see my family together, just like I wanted it to be." _

_As I glanced up at my mother once again, I was surprised to see tears building in her eyes. Choking back a sob, she rest her head against my aunt's chest the way someone my age would. Before that moment I had never seen my mother cry like that. _

_"I'm scared. I don't want to lose you. Besides my mother you're the only person who has ever understood me. I love you so much." _

_"Oh, there's no need to cry, darling. Don't be scared. Today is a joyous occasion for me. Being surrounded by my loving family is more than I could've ever wanted today," she said, reaching out to cup her face. _

_"I-I can't thank you enough for all the things you've done for me and Andre." _

_"I love you, too, honey... Before I forget, what are you having?" _

_"A girl. We're having a baby girl, Aunt Mary. I was thinking of naming her after you... María," my mother whispered tearfully. _

_"Tell me why, Gabriella." _

_"Because you're compassionate, forgiving, understanding..." _

_"Are you saying that because it's true, or are you saying that because I'm dying?" she guessed. _

_My mother said nothing, but nestled her head into my aunt's chest. _

_"I don't know what I'm going to do without you. This isn't fair." _

_"What's so unfair about life? If today is my time, then that's the way it was meant to be. Just because the lung cancer is killing me doesn't mean that I haven't lost. I've accomplished so much in my life, including having the family I had always dreamed of having. That is all I ever wanted from living on this earth, and I'm glad to say that I will die knowing how much I'm loved." _

_As Aunt Mary turned her pale gray eyes towards me, I looked at the floor, still unable to look at her. What scared me was that they were missing their usual warm, brown hue that I was used to. _

_"Come here, Raquél," she coaxed weakly. _

_Though I was reluctant to be near a relative who was about to pass away, I knew that being with my great aunt during her last moments was important to her. _

_"Aurelía, will you please get me the box from my satchel?" _

_Wasting no time, my mother's sister quickly reached for the bag near the foot of the bed and began to dig through it. I became curious once she pulled out a jewelry box, one that appeared large enough to hold a necklace. _

_I could sense that the end was near by the way soft wheezes fluttered out from her throat. Her bony hand trembled as she dangled the gleaming accessory in front of my face. _

_"See this locket, Sugar? This was a 20th anniversary gift that my husband gave me when he was still alive. Would you like to read to me what it says?" _

_Once my aunt placed the locket into my hands I began to observe its priceless quality, tracing my fingers along its engraved face. On the back I found the words she wanted me to say. _

"'_My love, my life, my forever,'" I recited softly. _

_"Charles had this locket specially crafted just for me so that there'd be nothing else like it in the world. He gave this to me because we were more than just in love. We were one soul, one heart, one body; and nothing could ever change the way we felt about each other. I hope you know that I love you with all my heart, Raquél. I love you so much that here on my deathbed I want you to promise me something," Aunt Mary wheezed. _

_Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight of her eyelids fluttering. _

_"O-Okay." _

_"One day when you meet the person who will complete your soul, I want you to put your picture in this locket and give it to him. I want you to tell him what I once heard from Robert Heinlein: 'Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.' If you are truly in love with each other, then you'll both do everything in your power to keep the other happy, even if that means letting go of something you don't want to lose. That's the secret to an eternal relationship, one that Charles and I will have once I get to heaven... Promise?" _

_Clutching the locket between my tiny hands, I broke into sobs and shook my head in determination. _

"_I promise, Aunt Mary. I love you, too." _

_Slowly her grip began to loosen around my hand, which caused one of my cousins to cry out in horror. A frightening phenomenon suddenly struck my aunt as the approaching clutches of death Began tighten its grip around her. Her bones began to tremble violently while shuddering gasps for air sputtered out from her throat. The quiet sniffles hissing about the air grew into an orchestrated chorus of mournful cries as a team of doctors burst through the doors like an army of police. I hardly felt my body being slowly dragged away from the chaos, away from Aunt Mary. _

_Nothing seemed real at that moment. As my line of vision gradually became obstructed by a frantic nurse or a collapsing relative, I was left gazing into the graying, yet fearless eyes of a person who showed nothing but undying affection, hopes and promises. _

_Whether I would find true love in the future or not, I was going to devote myself to her last wish no matter what._

Reminiscing on that day still caused tears to pool in my eyes, but I quickly dried them knowing that my aunt would want me to remain strong. Keeping this promise was going to give me the closure I needed to finally accept her absence with my own heart.

Sensing her presence in the room, I kissed the locket pendant and shut my eyes, imagining her warm and loving embrace around me.

"I promise, Aunt Mary. I promise," I whispered to myself.

That night as I curled up beneath the sheets, I wondered if I had been preventing Enriqué from true happiness by pressuring him to stay in New York. Before he would depart the next day I had to find out what he really wanted.

If fulfilling his professional football dreams was going to make him happy, then I should also be happy. I had to if we'd marry in the future.

**~RMCR~**

**Enriqué**

The weight of the entire world seemed to be bearing down on my shoulders once I forced my eyelids open.

The dark gray blanket smothering the atmosphere and the plodding drops that seeped through it set the theme for my mood that morning: gloomy and somber.

In less than a few hours I was going to have to adjust my heart for a different life once I arrived in Miami. Worst of all I was going to have to leave Raquél when she needed me the most. I still questioned whether furthering my education or staying with my girlfriend was the better choice. Either way, it did not matter at that point because I had a flight to catch.

Reluctantly, I tore myself from the comfort of my bed and sat up, listening to the rhythmic patter of rain on my windows.

"Enriqué! Are you up, _Cariño?_ Time to wake up!" a shrill voice called from the stairway, encouraging an annoyed sigh from my lips.

"Yes, Mama! I'm up!"

Even days after I'd made my heartfelt promise to Raquél, I just couldn't shake my thoughts of the intimate affair we shared in the shower in that hotel. Our second time making love was equally memorable and incredible, especially since we'd both been shed of our mutual coyness.

My heart fluttered as the stunning images of her perfect womanhood—its heated, creamy depths embracing my hardness—began to flash throughout my mind. Her small yet plump breasts, as sweet and savory as nectar, pressed against my chest as if bonded by glue, and her succulent curves accommodated my every needy clutch.

The rhythm of our movements was also unforgettable. My urgent, animal-like thrusts occasionally gave way to deep, mind numbing strokes that would cause her to tremble around me in raw bliss. When the strain became too much I cast her dripping body over my shoulder and tossed her onto the mattress. She tauntingly rolled onto her knees to escape, showing off the pair of indentations on her lower back in the process. But I made it clear that I needed her more than ever and dragged her towards the foot of the bed by her ankle.

What continued remained nothing but a vague memory to me. I could only remember a few things due to the lack of blood flow to my brain. Her intoxicating giggle followed by a short gasping moan, which caused her lips to purse in the most seductive manner. Then came a helpless whimper, another deep shudder, a cute bite of the lip, and lastly yet most enticingly, the sexy croon of my name.

Streaks of broken skin remained spattered along my back where she scratched and grasped at me, and my scalp continued to throb where she tugged at my hair in desperation. Emeralds glazed over with pleasure, they locked against my gaze with an intensity and passion that threatened to send me over the edge earlier than I wanted to. But behind them rest the pure innocence that reeled me in from the start. In the luminous bedroom, her sweat-dampened caramel skin shone brighter than the morning sun.

At the peak of our earth-shattering releases, I pounded my fist into the mattress while she convulsed wildly, her screams muffled against the pillow that she held between her teeth. She glanced down at our union and smiled at the beautiful mess we'd created, then murmured an "I love you" against my lips. Our heavy, intertwined bodies hardly made movement in bed until we were urged to check out of our suite at noon.

It did not feel right having to leave such a stunning goddess. But there was nothing I could do except look forward to the next time we would meet.

Slipping on my jacket with a sigh, I grabbed the handle of my oversized suitcase and followed my family through the front door. They understood my silence as we drove to the airport, and spoke in soft tones in fear of upsetting me. It was not possible to upset me more than I already was. Of course, I wasn't going to show my sadness.

The last time I faced difficulty saying goodbye was the day I left Cuba, but nothing was going to be more painful than leaving the one true love of my life; the very love that drove me to test my limits and live up to my full potential.

"Are you sure you don't need anything to eat? You're going to be flying for a few hours," my mother said, evidently worried.

"I'm not hungry, Mama, really. If I get hungry later I'll buy something on the plane."

Seeing right through my brave façade, she turned around in her seat and placed her hand over mine.

"It's okay to be sad, honey. You don't always have to be brave," she whispered, offering me a gentle smile.

I could tell that she didn't want me to hide my true feelings, because it would only hurt her more.

"I know."

Knowing that Raquél and her family were waiting near the gate, I mentally planned what I would say to her before I boarded my flight. Whatever my heart was going to say, I wanted her to know just how much she meant to me and how devoted I was to making our relationship work despite the long distance.

We both didn't know what to say once I approached her, our families watching just a few feet away. It was almost as if we had reverted back to our old personalities when we first met: Cautious, unsure; awkward.

"Hi," I began softly.

Once again I could not read her gaze.

"Hi."

Fleetingly, her eyes flickered down towards my suitcase and darkened in disappointment.

"I guess you're really leaving. You're going to do great in college," she said robotically, but even a total stranger could see that she was frightened.

Hoping to find the truth, I lifted her chin and searched her eyes until she broke her gaze in intimidation.

"How do you feel?" I asked skeptically.

Yet again I received an emotionless reply.

"I'm really happy for you, Enriqué. You deserved that scholarship more than anyone else."

"I know you are. But how does your heart feel? Tell me the truth, Sweetheart."

That was when it started. As if on cue the salty liquid began to pool in her eyes, and her lips trembled with a sharp intake of breath.

"You want the truth? Okay. Here's the real truth," she whispered, failing to mask the crack in her voice.

Her palm slowly moved up to clutch the middle of her top once she began to sob.

"My heart... hurts."

"Raquél, you don't mean that."

"No, you don't understand. I've been trying so hard—_so hard_ to be a good and supportive girlfriend, but I just can't ignore my feelings. What am I going to do if you're not here to kiss me or hold me, or tell me that everything is going to be okay? You make me feel so safe that I'm not afraid to be myself when I'm around you. I-I can't do this by myself. I need you, Enriqué," she wept, burying her nose into my chest.

I pulled my girlfriend into a far corner, where I knelt in front of her to meet her gaze.

"Sweetheart, look at all those people over there. You aren't alone. You have your family and my family to help you deal with school. Don't ever think for one second that you're alone because they'll be here for you when I can't be here. They love you just as much as I do, okay? And you don't have to try hard to be a good girlfriend because you're already the best thing that's ever happened to me."

For a moment, a sad smile crept onto her lips as I ran my thumb along the ring that sat on her finger.

"You are, too. But I'm scared because—I don't know—what if you meet someone who's better than me? What if she's old enough for you or prettier than me? I'm too fragile to get my heart broken again," she whimpered before breaking into sobs.

Although I had wanted to refrain from spoiling Raquél when she was supposed to be strong, I lifted her from the ground and engulfed her in my arms.

"Baby girl, look at me... Is that what you're afraid of? That I'll find someone who's better than you? Raquél, we went over this a million times. _No one_ is better than you. You're beautiful and sophisticated and talented. Everything about you is the reason I'm going to marry you. I love you."

"Oh, Enriqué..."

"I love you, Raquél, and nothing will change that for as long as I live. You're so precious to me, and seeing you like this hurts me in ways even I can't understand. Please don't be scared, because if something is bothering you then I can't sleep at night. You're much more amazing and special than you credit yourself for," I said while sweeping the curls out of her eyes.

"I love you so much, Enriqué. I'll never forget what you said to me the other morning after we made love..."

Knowing exactly what she was talking about, a grin crept onto my face as I reminisced that sweet moment. As our worn bodies rest beneath the thin sheets, her large green eyes pierced right through me while her palm repeatedly massaged the middle of my bare chest.

"Remind me what I said to you, Angel," I whispered in her ear.

"You said that being with me is like being someplace better than heaven. Then you called me your bride. Hearing those words made me feel so loved and cherished, and I know that I don't have anything to worry about. It's just that I'm still battling my inner demons. I want to be unafraid and confident; I really do. But I keep taking one step forward and two steps backwards. I don't know what I'll do without you. Don't leave me, Enriqué."

Not knowing how to further console my sobbing girlfriend, I exchanged concerned glances with her family as she held onto me with all the strength she had. The closer the time came for me to board my flight, the more Raquél continued to cry.

Reluctantly, I peeled her arms and legs from my body and guided her back to the floor, which she did not like at all. Like a petrified child she raised her arms toward me in need, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The sight was so heartbreaking that I found myself fighting the urge to break down.

"I want you to hold me more... Please, Enriqué, hold me," she pleaded with a hiccup.

When I refused to pick her up again, Raquél only hooked her arms around my torso and squeezed me firmly once passengers boarding my flight began to pass their tickets to the gate attendants.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry, but I have to leave now. I've had nothing but the best nine months of my existence because of you and I'll never look at life the same way again. I'm not doing this to hurt you; I'm doing this for you. It probably doesn't seem that way now, but believe me when I say that I love you with all my heart and soul. And I'll do anything for you, even if that means being away from you. I love you, Raquél."

"I do believe you, Enriqué. I love you so much... But before you leave I have to give you something," she said before digging through her pocket.

Putting her distress aside for the moment, my girlfriend presented me with an elegant heart-shaped locket and tucked it into my palm **(in profile).**

"When I was eight my Aunt Mary gave this to me on her deathbed. Her husband had it made for her for their anniversary, just a few years before he died. Before my Aunt died I fulfilled her last wish by keeping a promise to her that one day when I met the man who would complete my soul, I'd put my picture in this locket and give it to him. Then she quoted Robert Heinlein and said that love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. If we're truly in love with each other, then we'll both do everything in our power to keep the other happy, even if that means letting go of something we don't want to lose. I don't want to lose you, and I want you to be happy by letting you do what you feel is right in your heart. If going to college and playing football in Miami makes you happy, then I'm truly happy for you."

Touched by the heartfelt gift, I dropped the bag from my shoulder and embraced her once again, vowing that we would be reunited in a few months. As our lips met in a long kiss, I realized just how much I would miss this perfect girl.

Raquél reluctantly lifted her head from my shoulder and raked her fingers through my hair.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Enriqué. You have no idea," she sniffled.

"Same here, Sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too."

After we shared another parting kiss, Raquél found it difficult to let go of me, which prompted her mother and my mother to intervene. A terrible meltdown was not very far behind.

"Let go, sweetie. Enriqué has to go," Gabriella whispered, establishing a firm grip around her daughter's arm.

But she only fought back once they attempted to separate us.

"No! Leave me alone!"

"The attendants are waiting for him," my mother said.

"I don't care! I only need him!" she only sobbed.

"Raquél-María! You are acting like a spoiled little brat! Let him go so he can catch his flight."

As much as I did not want to leave her, we both had to understand that something good was bound to come out of us being apart. My heart aching painfully, I pried her locked arms from my torso and picked up my bag from the floor, which caused her to cry hysterically.

"Come back, Enriqué. I love you! Please, come back!" Raquél pleaded as more relatives stepped in to hold her back.

Behind me I heard what sounded like her knees dropping to the floor as she continued to shriek my name. I bothered not to look. If I looked back now, I would certainly end up turning back to stay with my girlfriend out of guilt. But I had to do what was right.

Regrettably, I handed my ticket to the patient female attendant beside the gate entrance, who gently bid me a safe flight. As the last passenger to board that flight, the attendants began to slowly shut the doors of the bridge leading to the gate.

Chills continued to rattle up my spine at the fading sound of her desperate pleads for me, which caused me to clutch the locket against my chest.

It was not until I'd found my seat near the back of the aircraft that I gazed at the tiny photo of my Sweetheart in her _Quinceañera_ dress. Her soft, innocent green eyes and wide joyful smile, both illuminated by my presence behind the photographer, reminded me of the perfect little gestures she made that made me fall in love with her more and more every day.

When I felt confident enough to let my guard down, I read the engraved message on the locket, buried my face into my palms and cried.

_My Love,_

_My Life,_

_My Forever…_

**What did you think of this chapter? Please let me know. It's one of my favorites. :) AFFMB readers, I will try to post the last chapter before I leave on Monday but please keep up the support. The first chapter of my new story will also be posted on that day so look out for that. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for you. Check out my profile if you want to see Enriqué's car and Aunt Mary's locket. Please review and thanks for reading! **


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